Rubio says US committed to Philippines in call about China's 'dangerous' actions 

A China Coast Guard ship (R) deploying water cannon at the Phillipine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP Datu Pagbuaya (L) near Scarborough Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea, Dec. 4, 2024. (National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea/Handout)

New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed China's "dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea" with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday and underscored the "ironclad" U.S. defense commitment to Manila.