On his first day in office, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his State Department staff and spoke about his foreign policy priorities.
As Voice of America correspondent Veronica Valderas Iglesias reports, he also met with counterparts from allied Indo-Pacific countries, which aim to counter China's military and economic ambitions.
On his first day as Secretary of State, former Republican Senator Marco Rubio told State Department employees that their mission is to advocate for peace around the world.
"Without peace, it is difficult to be a strong, prosperous and well-positioned country," he said.
But avoiding conflict will be a strategic decision.
"Never at the expense of our national security, our national interest, and our core values as a nation and as a people," said Secretary Rubio.
He also met on Tuesday with the foreign ministers of India, Australia and Japan. The four countries belong to the security group known as the 'Quad', a bloc aimed at countering China's economic and military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Tuesday's meeting eased some concerns about President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy.
"It's a clear signal that the United States is not abandoning allies and partners in the region in terms of how it will counter China's rise," says analyst Yun Sun of the Stimson Center.
Beijing considers the 'Quad' group to be a Cold War concept.
"Whenever the US aligns itself with its allies or partners, the Chinese feel isolated, threatened, and accuse the United States of a Cold War mentality," Ms. Sun says, VOA reports.
The analyst notes that China's modernization and expansion of its military and nuclear arsenal will push countries in that region to strengthen their militaries and seek even closer rapprochement with the United States. (A2 Televizion)
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