Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17845187682001784518766686.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves to employees upon arrival at the State Department in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Agence France-Presse </p><div><br/></div><p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he was open to meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week while in the Philippines for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers.</p><p>Rubio&#x27;s attendance at the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/18/rubio-heads-to-ph-to-meet-asean-counterparts-in-bid-to-reaffirm-partnerships-0930">Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Manila</a> comes as the United States seeks to counter China&#x27;s growing regional influence and days after <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/17/trump-revives-sprawling-election-fraud-claims-in-address-to-nation-1035">President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in US elections.</a></p><p>&quot;We&#x27;d be open to meeting with them,&quot; Rubio told reporters when asked if meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi or Russia&#x27;s Sergei Lavrov were in the works.</p><p>&quot;I would never tell you guys in a press conference what we would raise in meetings like that. Those are delicate matters,&quot; he added. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/18/rubio-heads-to-ph-to-meet-asean-counterparts-in-bid-to-reaffirm-partnerships-0930">Rubio heads to PH, to meet ASEAN counterparts in bid to reaffirm partnerships </a></div><p>Rubio met Wang on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering in Kuala Lumpur last year. The two also spoke by telephone following Trump&#x27;s visit to China in the spring.</p><p>The Philippines trip, Rubio&#x27;s first to the country as secretary of state, comes as regional allies are under economic strain caused by the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/20/massive-oil-price-hike-seen-in-3rd-week-of-july-0952">rekindled US-Iran war.</a></p><p>The US diplomat on Sunday called ASEAN &quot;our primary way of engaging the region&quot;, adding he would participate in a host of bilateral meetings, as well as sit-downs with fellow Quad members India, Japan and Australia.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/5/5/asean-2026-to-focus-on-energy-security-disaster-resilience-1549">ASEAN 2026 to focus on energy security, disaster resilience </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/20/pnp-deploys-over-1-500-personnel-for-aseanapol-conference-0802">PNP deploys over 1,500 personnel for ASEANAPOL conference </a> </div>

<p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he was open to meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week while in the Philippines for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers. </p>

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he was open to meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week while in the Philippines for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers.

Rubio open to Russia, China meets on Philippines visit

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Rubio open to Russia, China meets on Philippines visit

Agence France-Presse

Published July 20, 2026 11:43 AM PHT

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