In the capital of Malaysia this week, the United States and China are engaged in a contest for influence and loyalty in Asia against a backdrop of global trade turbulence.

       Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been pressing top diplomats gathered at a conference in the city, Kuala Lumpur, to align with Washington’s efforts to restrict trade with China and to agree to tariff terms favorable to the United States.

       At the same gathering, China’s top foreign policy official, Wang Yi, has been urging those governments to resist U.S. pressure and to embrace Beijing as the more reliable partner.

       On Friday, the second day of the full conference, Mr. Rubio met with Mr. Wang on the sidelines. Washington and Beijing have clashed over U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor chips and other exports to China, over American military aid to Taiwan, and over China’s limits on exports of critical minerals and control of some important supply chains.

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       “We acknowledged there are some issues that we have to work through, not just trade, but others,” Mr. Rubio told reporters traveling with him.

       But overall, he said, the session with Mr. Wang “was a very constructive and positive meeting and gave us a lot to work on.” He said the two saw an “opportunity here to achieve some strategic stability and identify areas where we can cooperate together on and build better communications and working trust.”

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