U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday that Iran’s demand to control and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz would threaten the world’s economy and the principle of freedom of navigation, including in Asia. Rubio spoke at the start of an annual meeting in Manila with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose members have expressed alarm over the resurgent war in the Middle East and its effects on the region.
Despite Washington’s focus on the war in the Middle East, Rubio reassured the ASEAN leaders that “we’re with ASEAN 100%.” He said allowing a country to control an international waterway, charge a toll and destroy ships that do not pay would establish a precedent that could be repeated in other parts of the world, including Asia.
Regional security discussions
Rubio also met with ministers from the four-nation Quad partnership, comprising the United States, Australia, India and Japan. They discussed shared priorities involving technology, humanitarian assistance, emergency response, maritime security and transnational security. In a joint statement, the four countries reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security initiatives intended to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region.
The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which Washington says disadvantage smaller claimant countries such as the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia. The territorial disputes also involve Taiwan and the ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. They are central to three days of talks that began Tuesday in Manila.
Rubio later met with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said they discussed regional issues, the Iran war and an unfinished trade agreement intended to lower U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the two officials agreed on the importance of finalizing the interim trade deal, which he described as almost complete. Rubio was also scheduled to meet separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the meetings.