The latest news on the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Southeast Asian leaders on Thursday in an effort to reaffirm Washington's focus on the region, as concerns grow over steep new tariffs set by United States President Donald Trump.
"The story of the next 50 years will largely be written here in this region. When I hear that perhaps the United States or the world might be distracted by events in other parts of the planet, I would say distraction is impossible," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
While Rubio described the Indo-Pacific as central to US foreign policy, partners like Japan and Malaysia voiced unease about tariffs. His meetings with Russian and potentially Chinese counterparts underline a wider effort to balance diplomacy amid shifting alliances.
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