The meeting, bringing together representatives of the four largest militaries in the Indo-Pacific, was a clear signal that the Trump administration will intensify military preparations and threats directed at China.

Rubio called China the "most potent, dangerous adversary" during his confirmation and is expected to work with India, Japan, and Australia to counter this.

It was in 2020 when Beijing sanctioned the then Florida senator twice for promoting a bill that banned Chinese officials from entering the United States and for supporting the democratic movements in Hong Kong.

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The top diplomats of Japan and the United States agreed Tuesday to elevate the bilateral relationship to "new heights" on all fronts and continue working multilaterally with like-minded countries such as the Philippines and South Korea, just a day after Donald Trump returned to the White House for a nonconsecutive second term.

U.S. officials say the Trump administration would begin formal international engagements this week when Marco Rubio — expected to be confirmed soon as secretary of state — meets with the foreign ministers of India,

U.S. President Donald Trump is back with an administration led by "America First" policies, and the independence of Japanese diplomacy is being put to the test. An international rules-based order must be protected without fail to ensure the stability of Asia.

Newly sworn secretary of state is to maximize American interest and counter China to secure regional peace in Southeast and East Asia

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan as the Trump administration kicks off its formal foreign policy engagements in discussions with the Indo-Pacific “Quad.

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya addressed issues regarding North Korea's alignment with Russia and China's support for Russia's defense industry during their discussions,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a not-so-subtle warning to China over its actions at sea, vowing together with US allies to counter its assertiveness.

The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio's as secretary of state on Monday, making him the first member of President Donald Trump's second Cabinet.

Analysts said meeting is designed to signal that countering Beijing is a top priority for Mr Trump. Read more at straitstimes.com.