Rubio in Philippines as US condemns ‘dangerous’ China actions
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on July 21.
PHOTO: AFP
- The US condemned China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea following a clash with the Philippine navy, calling them a threat to regional peace and stability.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila to meet ASEAN leaders, affirming US commitment to freedom of navigation and regional defence.
- Rubio plans to discuss US economic support in energy, critical minerals, and AI, while possibly meeting China’s Wang Yi and other regional partners during the ASEAN summit.
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MANILA – The United States condemned “dangerous and aggressive actions” by China following a clash with the Philippine Navy in the South China Sea, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on July 21 for a meeting of South-east Asian nations.
“China’s troubling pattern of provocations against the Philippines’ legitimate maritime operations undermines regional peace and stability and directly contradicts China’s repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” the US State Department said in a statement.
Rubio landed in Manila on the morning of July 21 for a meeting of his counterparts from the 11-member ASEAN.
While his entourage has not publicly confirmed talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who will also be in Manila on July 22 and July 23, Rubio has said he is open to the possibility of a meeting.
The two met in 2025 on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur and again in Munich, Germany, in February.
In an op-ed published in Philippine media outlets on the morning of July 21, Rubio heralded Washington’s commitment “to freedom of navigation in South-east Asia” while reaffirming the US’ defensive umbrella in the region.
“This freedom is by no means guaranteed. If these waters were to fall under the control of a power willing to use trade as a geopolitical weapon, both the United States and the ASEAN states would face serious new threats to their sovereignty, security and economic future,” he wrote, in a clear allusion to China.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital global trade route, despite an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.
Multiple ASEAN member states, including the Philippines, have territorial claims that overlap with China’s.
The Philippine military accused the Chinese coast guard of wounding a Filipino sailor on July 20 near an outpost in a disputed area of the crucial waterway. The Chinese coast guard responded to the accusations in a statement, calling Manila’s version of events a “complete distortion of the truth”.
Rubio is making his first visit to the Philippines as secretary of state, where he intends to reaffirm the strengthened partnership with the US. The visit comes as the US and Iran are once again embroiled in conflict, more than a week after the resumption of hostilities over another strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to the press before he departed from Washington on July 19, he indicated that he would participate in a meeting with fellow Quad countries – Australia, Japan and India – on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, as well as have meetings with South Korea and possibly Vietnam.
Rubio intends to raise the issue of US economic commitment to energy infrastructure, critical minerals and artificial intelligence during these meetings, he said. AFP
