So US is now making its support for Philippines very clear in this whole China situation . Secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent statements are not subtle at all,and it feels like things are getting more serious in South China Sea.
He was speaking during some Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on June 2, 2026 and basically called Manila a crucial partner for their Indo-Pacific strategy . The big worry is China's actions near that disputed Scarborough Shoal area.
And he said it directly ah,"We're very concerned about recent activity,once again,near Scarborough." This sounds like they are watching every single move very closely now,and are not happy about it.
This all came up when another Senator,Bill Hagerty,was talking about how important Philippines is because of its location on major sea trade routes . So this is not just about military stuff,it's also about economic cooperation.
And honestly,this is where things get complicated.
The US seems to be focusing on a few key areas with Manila:
- Expanding defense cooperation — includes military interoperability and joint exercises.
- New technology agreements — focus on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
- Maintaining communication with China — essential despite ongoing disagreements.
And it's not just talk . Rubio mentioned he spoke with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days prior only . They discussed military exercises and even tech development,and some agreement about a former U.S. military facility for joint tech initiatives.
But most telling part for me was his warning about this South China Sea code of conduct . He said,"A bad code of conduct agreement is worse than no code of conduct agreement at all." Basically telling everyone not to sign a bad deal that just helps legitimize China's claims .
This whole thing is happening because there have been so many confrontations recently between Chinese and Philippine ships in those waters . So US is clearly picking side and making its commitment very public.
It's a clear signal to Beijing,no doubt . But you have to wonder if all this strong talk and military posturing will actually calm things down,or just make whole situation even more tense…
