U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Japanese and Philippine counterparts in a meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ annual ministerial meetings in Malaysia. The U.S., Japan and the Philippines have been building a trilateral bloc to broaden security and economic cooperation.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday played down concerns about relations with key U.S. ally Japan, saying there is no "drama or division," despite the Japanese prime minister speaking of the need for Tokyo to wean itself off U.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia Thursday.

A senior state department official has asserted that it is in “America’s interest” to commit to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Trump has been advised to prioritise Asia amid China’s threatening influen