Rubio says Xi-Trump summit likely after meeting top China envoy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is likely after having his first face-to-face meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Malaysia, Report informs via Bloomberg.

Rubio said the Friday sit-down with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was “very constructive and positive.” The gathering was seen as a prelude to a possible leadership summit, which Trump said he’d like to happen this year.

“There’s a strong desire on both sides to do it,” Rubio told reporters. “I think the odds are high,” he said, adding that the two countries will find a “mutually acceptable date.”

The envoys attended a gathering hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur, which ends on July 11.

The meeting comes as the countries appear to uphold a trade truce that saw sky-high tariffs on Chinese products suspended for 90 days, with Beijing agreeing to resume shipments of rare earths and the US offering to ease some export restrictions.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier this week that the next round of trade talks would kick off in early August, just before the levy reprieve is set to expire.