WASHINGTON, July 9 — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed for Malaysia yesterday for meetings with Asean allies, a trip that has been overshadowed by fears of a trade war.

The brief trip to Kuala Lumpur is intended to allow Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, to focus on US policy in Asia after months of Washington concentrating on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“In his first trip to Asia as Secretary of State, Secretary Rubio is focused on reaffirming the United States’ commitment to advancing a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region,” spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement, using Washington’s traditional wording on curbing China’s growing influence in the region.

A senior State Department official told reporters that prioritizing and reaffirming Washington’s commitment to East Asia and Southeast Asia “is in America’s interest.”

“I think there’s been a lot of outreach, a lot of engagements, and I wouldn’t judge the level of interest and priority based solely on how many physical trips there have been,” the official said on condition of anonymity.