New US Secretary of State flags China’s behavior in first call with PH top diplomat

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippines and the United States agreed to closely work together to address challenges and sustain the momentum of bilateral ties during a conversation between two foreign ministers.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said he had a conversation with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday night, Jan. 22.

"Happy to speak tonight to the 72nd U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio @marcorubio and congratulate him on his appointment," said Manalo.

"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 added.

The DFA chief said Manila is ready to work with the Rubio administration to sustain the gains of Manila-Washington bilateral relations.

"We look forward to working with Secretary Rubio and his team towards addressing challenges and sustaining the momentum and positive trajectory in our bilateral relations," he said.

In a separate statement, Rubio said that he and Manalo talked about the destabilizing actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea.

“Secretary Rubio conveyed that the PRC’s behavior undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law,” the US State Department said.

Prior to meeting with Manalo, Rubio joined foreign ministers from the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, collectively known as the “Quad,” in Washington, D.C., to address key issues affecting the Indo-Pacific region.

"We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington, D.C., to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," the group stated.

The ministers said the rule of law must always be prioritized in the region and highlighted the importance of international law for regional stability.

“Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains – including the maritime domain – underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific,” the Quad said.

The four officials also expressed their stand against unilateral efforts aimed at altering the regional status quo through force or coercion.

“We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” they said.