QiOSK
Rubio arrives in Manila as China-Philippines tensions spike
The secretary of state met with officials from both countries after a fight in the South China Sea
July 22, 2026
The secretary of state met with officials from both countries after a fight in the South China Sea
States in the region agree that Beijing's maritime claims are extreme, but they won't join Washington in condemning them
Imagine a globe-spanning naval battle with both sides interdicting commerce, a collapse in Asian trade, mounting losses, far worse than the current Iran war
This signals an expanding American footprint and risk of being pulled into tensions with China
Two recent incidents in the South China Sea highlight the potential for a real crisis and Washington is not helping
Hundreds of billions of dollars have gone to aiding Taipei but geography is still the island's best defense
