The United States is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea and has no right to interfere in maritime issues between China and the Philippines, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday after Washington and Manila made unwarranted remarks against Beijing.

The newly installed Trump administration has quickly reaffirmed America’s strong support for the Philippines in the face of an increasingly aggressive China in the disputed South China Sea, despite doubts to the contrary voiced by some observers.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the United States' defense commitment to the Philippines in a conversation with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, discussing China's destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and the strengthening of economic and security cooperation within the region.

MARCO Rubio, the new US Secretary of State, has assured Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo that the Trump administration will continue to be committed to the treaty that requires the US to help the Philippines in case it is attacked by a foreign aggressor.

New U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, emphasized America's steadfast defense commitment to the Philippines amid China's controversial actions in the South China Sea. Following President Trump's return to office,

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (Reuters) - The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines' top diplomat said on Saturday.

UNITED States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said China's behavior in the South China Sea undermined regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law. Rubio made the statement when he spoke with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo in Washington Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked a sharp rebuke from Beijing over his comments on the South China Sea in one of his first foreign policy statements since taking office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised China’s ‘dangerous’ actions towards the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Observers welcome Rubio’s statements that they say indicate continuity in US policy and ‘more robust support’ for Manila in South China Sea row.