Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, which brings together 10 ASEAN members and their most important diplomatic partners including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, European nations and the U.S.

A senior state department official has asserted that it is in “America’s interest” to commit to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Trump has been advised to prioritise Asia amid China’s threatening influen