US Secretary of State believes 21st-century world history will be made in Southeast Asia

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that the history of the 21st century will be made in Southeast Asia, with American prosperity being deeply tied to conditions in the region. “I firmly believe that the future and the story of the 21st century will be created in this region and by the dynamics of events taking place here,” Rubio said at the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Metro Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday. He added that the security and welfare of the US and Southeast Asia are highly dependent on one another. The 59th AMM and a series of related meetings with ASEAN dialogue partners, including Russia, China, the US, Japan, India, and South Korea, are taking place in Manila, Philippines, from 21 to 24 July 2026. The Philippines holds the ASEAN chairmanship for this year. Earlier on the same day, the US Secretary of State held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. Rubio is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday.