U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were “areas of potential cooperation” between Washington and Beijing, and stressed the importance of managing differences, following his first in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart as he wrapped up a two-day regional security forum in Malaysia.

Rubio said the U.S. tariffs imposed on many Asian countries, including the heaviest levies on China, were a top complaint at the summit.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi had a "positive" meeting in Malaysia on Friday, both sides said, in an apparent bid to ease tensions between the rival powers.