Washington, DC – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the United States “is still on” for September 24. Rubio made the remarks to reporters before departing for Manila to attend the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, thus putting an end to the controversy sparked by President Donald Trump’s recent comments about China.
Response to allegations of election interference
Rubio explained that preparations for the visit are proceeding as planned. He also noted that Chinese teams remain in Washington to finalize arrangements. He added, “I haven’t heard anything to suggest a change in this plan.” These remarks follow allegations made by President Trump last week accusing Beijing of interfering in the 2020 US elections by stealing voter data—claims that have already been refuted by US intelligence agencies. This has created political tension that threatens to undermine the truce between the two countries, according to Bloomberg.
When asked about potential consequences for these alleged actions, Trump simply said, “We’ll see. We’ll talk to them.” This planned visit by the Chinese leader is the second of four major meetings between the two sides this year. It also comes as part of broader efforts to stabilize bilateral relations and maintain the trade truce.
Hot topics and technological competition
These diplomatic efforts are facing mounting pressure, as President Trump reinstated 90-day visa restrictions on Chinese journalists. Simultaneously, relations are witnessing intense competition in the technology sector. Last week, Xi Jinping chaired an international alliance of 30 countries to establish global rules for artificial intelligence that exclude the United States. This coincided with the announcement by the Chinese company Moonshot of its new model, ChemK3. This advance has challenged expectations of absolute American dominance in this field.
For his part, Rubio downplayed the escalation, asserting that tensions are normal between two powers the size of the United States and China. He concluded, “I believe it is the duty of strong and important countries like ours to continue dialogue and maintain relations.” Rubio is scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila. The two sides will discuss these issues before the upcoming leaders’ meeting.
