US foreign policy chief Rubio, Phl’s Manalo discuss China’s ‘dangerous, destabilizing actions’
United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently held discussions with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo regarding China’s actions in the South China Sea (SCS), which they described as “dangerous and destabilizing.”
In a statement released on Thursday (Manila Time), US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce shared that Rubio emphasized that China’s behavior undermines regional peace and stability, asserting that it is inconsistent with international law.
China has consistently maintained its presence in various parts of the SCS, infringing upon the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
The Secretary highlighted the unwavering commitment of the United States to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty. Bruce noted that both secretaries exchanged perspectives on enhancing security cooperation, expanding economic partnerships for shared prosperity, and deepening collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
Rubio and Manalo reinforced the significance of the alliance between Manila and Washington, especially as President Donald Trump returns to the White House. Manalo mentioned on his X (formerly Twitter) account, “We discussed the importance of the PH-US alliance for the prosperity and security of the Indo-Pacific, and the strength of our bilateral political, economic, and people-to-people ties.”
He further expressed enthusiasm in working with Secretary Rubio and his team to address challenges and maintain the positive trajectory in their bilateral relations.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the returning US President Trump on various issues that would bring mutual benefits to the two nations. He highlighted the countries’ deep ties, shared beliefs, common vision, and history of collaboration.
In a recent confirmation of his appointment, Rubio also commented on the sustained presence of a significant vessel from the China Coast Guard, referred to as “The Monster Ship,” within Philippine waters. He remarked, “This massive ship that the Chinese have built is headed towards the Philippines, and the Philippines feels threatened by it, rightfully so.”
Rubio reiterated Washington’s unwavering commitment to the Philippines-US mutual defense treaty in light of China’s ongoing intimidation towards Manila. He stated, “We’ve seen this on a daily basis with the harassment and so forth, but on a daily basis, if, God forbid, there is some miscommunication or some inadvertent conflict emerges there, and we have obligations to them, the impact that will have on the entire globe is enormous.”
