China Eyes Key UN Meeting on Feb. 18 as Chance for Rubio-Wang Talks

China sees the upcoming United Nations Security Council meeting on Feb. 18 as a key opportunity for Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to meet, according to China's U.N. envoy Fu Cong. As China presides over the council in February, Wang will lead discussions on multilateralism and global governance.

While the U.S. State Department has not confirmed Rubio’s attendance, Fu emphasized the need for cooperation, warning that "so much is at stake." However, he criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 10% tariffs on China, calling it a violation of WTO rules and signaling potential countermeasures.

Fu also addressed ongoing U.S.-China tensions, urging Washington to tackle the domestic demand for fentanyl instead of blaming Beijing. He dismissed criticism of China's Belt and Road Initiative after Panama let its participation expire, calling it a "groundless smear campaign."

Technology remains a contentious issue, with Fu denouncing U.S. bans on Chinese firms like Huawei, TikTok, and DeepSeek. He stressed that cooperation in AI, climate change, and security could yield global benefits, warning that fragmentation in AI development would increase risks.

"If China and the U.S. can work together, we can solve many problems and make the world a better place," Fu said.