U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his time at a Southeast Asian security conference with a meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The meeting takes place on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit, where Washington and Beijing are each attempting to exert their influence.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, the State Department said, in what will be the first in-person meeting of the two counterparts.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that an unknown individual used AI to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and contact "at least five government officials, including three foreign ministers, a US governor,