Kuala lumpur: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, local media reported. This significant visit marks Rubio's first trip to the region since he assumed office earlier this year.

According to Anadolu Agency, it is the first time that Chinese and US top diplomats will attend the event together, but it remains to be seen whether they will meet. Rubio is leading the US delegation at the ASEAN-led meetings, highlighting the importance of the United States' role in Southeast Asian affairs.

The US began formal engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1977, a decade after its formation. The relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2015 and further upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. This ongoing engagement underscores the strategic significance of ASEAN in US foreign policy.