MANILA, Philippines — The leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States will meet in Manila during the Nov. 15-18 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’s first leaders’ summit since 2024, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed.
The summit would be the first for US President Donald Trump in his current term.
“We will have a Quad leaders’ meeting in Manila in the – I guess today is the 31st – next month,” Rubio said on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Philippines chairs the ASEAN this year and will host the leaders’ summit and other meetings from Nov. 16 to 18.
The Quad group is a key strategic partnership for cooperation on maritime security. It aims to promote a “free and open” Indo-Pacific and balance China’s expanding military and economic influence in the area.
During the G20 gathering, Rubio said the world is seeing concerning attacks in the South China Sea and the Strait of Taiwan that put economies in danger.
He stressed that one of the most severe consequences to sea lanes being under attack or under coercion is the rise of food security problems.
The foreign ministers of Quad nations remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and the militarization of disputed features.
In a statement during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in May, the Quad reiterated its strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions, including by force or coercion, that threaten peace and stability in the region.
Ironclad
Meanwhile, US Ambassador Lee Lipton described Washington’s commitment to Philippine security as “ironclad,” following the visit of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Cebu last week.
Lipton said Hegseth’s leadership of the Department of War and his frequent engagements with the US’s partners in Southeast Asia demonstrate the Trump administration’s determination to strengthen alliances, deepen regional cooperation and ensure that peace is backed by strength.
“As we mark 75 years of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, our message is clear: our alliance is stronger than ever,” Lipton said. “We stand firmly with the Filipino people in defending sovereignty, protecting territorial integrity and upholding the freedom of navigation on which we all rely for vibrant global commerce.”
“The United States is proud to call the Philippines an ally, partner and friend. Our relationship is not simply a matter of treaties or shared strategic interests; it is a bond between our peoples that grows stronger every day,” he added. — Roel Pareño