Marco Rubio Condemns Chinese Maritime Aggression Near Taiwan and Philippines

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned China's deployment of coast guard vessels near Taiwan and its aggressive actions in the South China Sea during the ASEAN summit in Manila. Rubio described China's maritime activities as disturbing and stated that Washington will not accept international waterways being under the control of other countries. These remarks follow China's launch of special maritime law enforcement operations east of Taiwan, which Beijing claims were a response to boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines.

The diplomatic tension coincided with two violent confrontations this week: a Chinese vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine fisheries vessel near Scarborough Shoal on Thursday, and a Filipino sailor was injured by a baton at Second Thomas Shoal on Monday. While the U.S. State Department characterized these actions as dangerous and provocative, the China Coast Guard maintained its measures were professional and lawful.

Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit to discuss strategic stability and prepare for President Donald Trump's planned visit to Beijing in September. Additionally, Rubio addressed delays in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, attributing the lag to inventory reviews and the need to restart the U.S. defense industrial base. The maritime friction occurs alongside two days of Chinese live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait near Fujian Province.