🔺 Rubio: Freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia is not guaranteed

🔺 Rubio: Freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia is not guaranteed

▪The U.S. Secretary of State, in an editorial published in Philippine newspapers at the same time as his arrival in Manila, warned that freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia is “by no means guaranteed.”

▪In the text, published on Tuesday morning, Marco Rubio emphasized the United States’ commitment to freedom of navigation in the region and the continuation of this country’s defensive umbrella.

▪He wrote: “If these waters come under the control of a power that is willing to use trade as a geopolitical weapon, both the United States and ASEAN countries will face new serious threats to their sovereignty, security, and economic future.”