Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia Thursday at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The meeting put the Russia-Ukraine war at the center of a trip that was meant to strengthen alliances in Southeast Asia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of a major Asian conference in Malaysia as President Trump’s tariffs roil U.S. partners in Asia. Rubio described his conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as “constructive and pragmatic” and emphasized the importance of keeping channels of communication open.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference in a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.