Manila, July 22 -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure Southeast Asian nations that Washington's commitment to the region would not be overshadowed by crises elsewhere, unveiling more than $4 billion in strategic investments and assistance while declaring that ASEAN would remain central to U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference in Manila, Rubio said the United States viewed Southeast Asia as indispensable to its economic and strategic interests, pledging a durable partnership as the region emerges as one of the world's fastest-growing economic centres.
Echoing President Donald Trump's commitment at last year's U.S.-ASEAN Summit, Rubio said, "We're with ASEAN 100 percent," d...