U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a Southeast Asian security conference that focused on various international tensions. His high-stakes meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed significant geopolitical concerns. Southeast Asian leaders expressed worries regarding U.S. tariffs but prioritized security dialogues. Rubio acknowledged that while tariffs are a concern, broader cooperation and shared interests exist among countries in the region. The backdrop includes Trump's view of China as a primary threat in technology, trade, and regional influence.
The meeting was held less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks.
While Rubio heard complaints about the tariffs from his Southeast Asian counterparts, he told reporters Thursday that many of them focused their discussion on security issues, their concerns about Chinese domination and desire for cooperation with the U.S.
Rubio said, "Of course, it's raised. It's an issue, but I wouldn't say it solely defines our relationship with many of these countries. There are a lot of other issues that we work together on."
Trump sees China as the biggest threat to the United States in multiple fields, not least technology and trade, and has warned of massive tariffs that could impact global dynamics.
Collection
[
|
...
]