(VOVWORLD) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday to attend the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings.
 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio deplanes upon arriving at Subang Air Base, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10, 2025. Photo: (Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS) |
This is his first visit to Asia since taking office. However, US President Donald Trump’s global tariff strategy is likely to cast a shadow over the trip.
Early this week, President Trump announced steep tariffs to take effect on August 1st on six ASEAN members, including Malaysia, as well as on close Northeast Asian allies Japan and South Korea.
Rubio will nevertheless seek to address partners and allies’ worries over the tariffs. Security cooperation is a top priority, including in the strategic East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), as well as combating narcotics, scam centers, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.
On the sidelines of the meetings, the US Secretary of State is expected to have bilateral meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and major ASEAN partners.