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Rubio: World peace is in the national interest of the United States

Rubio: World peace is in the national interest of the United States

On his first day in office, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his State Department staff and spoke about his foreign policy priorities. As VOA correspondent Veronica Valderas Iglesias reports, he also met with counterparts from Indo-Pacific allies who aim to counter China's military and economic ambitions.

On his first day as Secretary of State, former Republican Senator Marco Rubio told State Department employees that their mission is to advocate for peace around the world.

"Without peace, it is difficult to be a strong, prosperous and well-positioned country," he said. But avoiding conflict will be a strategic decision.

"Never at the expense of our national security, our national interest, and our core values ​​as a nation and as a people," said Secretary Rubio.

He also met the foreign ministers of India, Australia and Japan on Tuesday. The four countries belong to the security group known as the 'Quad', a bloc aimed at countering China's economic and military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. Tuesday's meeting eased some concerns about President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy.

"It's a clear signal that the United States is not abandoning allies and partners in the region in terms of how it will counter China's rise," said Yun Sun, an analyst at the Stimson Center. Beijing sees the Quad as a Cold War concept.

“Whenever the US aligns itself with its allies or partners, the Chinese feel isolated, threatened, and accuse the United States of a Cold War mentality,” Ms. Sun says .

The analyst notes that China's modernization and expansion of its military and nuclear arsenal will push countries in that region to strengthen their militaries and seek even closer rapprochement with the United States./VOA

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