WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pic) will make his first trip to Asia since taking up his post, traveling this week to Malaysia for meetings with Asean allies, his office said Monday (July 7).
The trip, starting Tuesday, will see Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump's national security advisor, focus on US policy in Asia after months of Washington concentrating on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"In his first trip to Asia as Secretary of State, Secretary Rubio is focused on reaffirming the United States' commitment to advancing a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement, using Washington's traditional wording aimed at curbing China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Prioritising and reaffirming Washington's commitment to East Asia and South-East Asia "is in America's interest," a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"It promotes American prosperity and promotes American security," the official added.
As with any trip to Asia by a US official, China will be the elephant in the room amid concerns over its expansionary behaviour in the South China Sea, which the United States deems to be provocative.
The visit also comes as many countries around the world are waiting for the next step in Trump's tariff wars. Sweeping levies announced in April were mostly suspended, as Washington engages in negotiations with friends and foes alike.
On Monday, Trump said he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on key US allies Japan and South Korea and a handful of others, including South-East Asian nations Malaysia (25 per cent) and Laos (40 per cent), as of August 1.
Export-dependent Vietnam, which like Malaysia and Laos is a member of Asean, is one of the few countries to already reach a tentative agreement with Washington that spares it the high level of levies that Trump had threatened.
At a summit in late May, South-East Asian leaders expressed their deep concern at Trump's protectionist offensive.
The senior US official said the issue was expected to be raised, and that Rubio would likely tell Asean that the United States wants to "rebalance" its trade relationships.
A deadline on the tariffs is due to expire on Wednesday, with Trump suggesting elevated levies would snap back into place on August 1 for any trading partners who do not make a deal.
Rubio's visit to Kuala Lumpur Thursday and Friday coincides with that of his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi.
While there, Rubio is scheduled to attend a meeting with his counterparts from Asean and with a gathering of both Asean and East Asian foreign ministers.
Last week, Rubio welcomed foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan to Washington, where they pledged to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.
China's domination of such resources - essential to new technologies - is causing increasing concern in western Europe and the United States. - AFP
