U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at a state dinner held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14 (local time). [Reuters=Yonhap News]  

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party) are scheduled to hold talks in Manila, Philippines, on the 22nd (local time), Reuters reported on the 21st.

A U.S. State Department official stated that Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Wang are scheduled to meet in Manila that day.

The top diplomats from the U.S. and China are visiting Manila to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The upcoming meeting is expected to focus primarily on preparations for the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for this September.

Previously, President Trump announced that President Xi would visit the United States on September 24, but China has not yet officially confirmed the visit.

Prior to the ASEAN meeting, Secretary Rubio told reporters that there is "no reason to think they won't come," expressing his expectation that President Xi’s visit to the U.S. will proceed as scheduled.

President Trump and President Xi held a summit in Beijing, China, last May and spoke in unison on expanding cooperation, but failed to narrow their differences on sensitive core issues such as the Taiwan issue.

In particular, as President Trump recently raised allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, this issue could become a new source of conflict in bilateral relations. China has denied these allegations.

President Trump told reporters at the White House that day, "We will be discussing this (election interference allegations) with China."