U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with members of the media before departing for Bahrain International Airport after his visit to the Middle East in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25. | REUTERS
REUTERS
Jul 18, 2026
Washington – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads this weekend to meetings of Asia-Pacific countries in Manila, where he is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart to prepare a possible September summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to be in Manila next week for meetings involving the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, and ministers from Japan, Australia, Canada and Britain.
The gatherings come at a time of global instability, with the Iran war disrupting global trade and creating economic stress across Asia.
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