Marco Rubio says the US is "not going to abandon [its] allies" amid China-Philippine maritime clashes

During the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meetings in the Philippines on July 23, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine maritime forces, notably a July 20 incident where a Chinese Coast Guard crew member struck a Philippine sailor with a baton. Rubio stated that the United States would continue supporting its regional partners. Days earlier, the aircraft carrier USS *George Washington* had arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, accompanied by several warships. The visit followed additional hostilities on July 24, when Chinese ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal. U.S. officials have condemned the escalating actions and reaffirmed commitments to Pacific allies.