Rubio in Philippines as US condemns ‘dangerous’ China actions

The United States has strongly condemned what it calls "dangerous and aggressive actions" by China following a recent clash with the Philippine navy in the disputed South China Sea. The condemnation came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian nations.

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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.

Rubio's visit aims to reaffirm the US commitment to freedom of navigation in the region and its defensive umbrella. In an op-ed published in Philippine media, Rubio warned that if the vital global trade route fell under the control of a power willing to use trade as a geopolitical weapon, both the US and ASEAN states would face serious threats to their sovereignty, security, and economic future. This statement is a clear allusion to China's expansive claims and actions.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, a critical global trade artery, despite an international tribunal ruling that its claims lack legal basis. Multiple ASEAN member states, including the Philippines, have overlapping territorial claims. The Philippine military accused the Chinese coast guard of wounding a Filipino sailor near an outpost in a disputed area, an accusation China's coast guard dismissed as a "complete distortion of the truth."

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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.

Rubio's trip to the Philippines marks his first as secretary of state. He is expected to meet with counterparts from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and has indicated openness to meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who will also be in Manila. The US secretary of state also plans to engage with fellow Quad countries, Australia, Japan, and India, and potentially South Korea and Vietnam on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.

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complete distortion of the truth