US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi's first face-to-face meeting since US President Donald Trump returned to office came as both countries vie for greater influence in the region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Southeast Asian nations to uphold openness and cooperation Thursday, delivering a message of inclusivity as President Donald Trump threatens sweeping tariffs on nations across the region.

US President Trump’s tariffs loom over gathering in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur which will also feature US-Russia talks.

China urged Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their border dispute through friendly dialogue, offering to play a constructive role by upholding an "objective and fair" position, its foreign ministry said.

Southeast Asia now finds itself caught in a middle-democracy trap where development sidelines democratic progress

Southeast Asian foreign ministers met with other regional powers on Friday in Kuala Lumpur for the East Asia Summit.

The nuclear ban treaty, established in 1997, limits the member nations' use of nuclear weapons to peaceful purposes, like power generation.

China will sign up to a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Thursday.

As China and the U.S. compete in artificial intelligence, Southeast Asia should draw from the best of both, panelists said at CNBC’s East Tech West conference.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met counterparts in Southeast Asia during his first visit to the region since taking office.