Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Malaysia to attend several diplomatic meetings with senior Malaysian government officials. It is his first diplomatic visit to Asia as a member of the Trump administration.

The U.S. State Department announced Monday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Malaysia Tuesday, just after threats of higher tariffs made by President Donald Trump on nations aligned with BRICS.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Malaysia this week for meetings of Southeast Asian Nations in his first trip to Asia as America's top diplomat, the State Department said on Monday, even as President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on the hosts and other regional partners and allies.