Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan as the Trump administration kicks off its formal foreign policy engagements in discussions with the Indo-Pacific “Quad.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Quad counterparts - India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia's Penny Wong - at the US Department of State here on Tuesday.

The Quad ministerial meeting of Australia, India, Japan, and the US focused on countering China's influence and maintaining a free Indo-Pacific.

After the Quad ministerial, Rubio had his first bilateral with Jaishankar, which lasted for more than an hour. India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, was also present in the meeting. Jaishankar also met National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Tuesday.

Analysts have said the meeting is designed to signal that countering Beijing is a top priority for Mr Trump. Read more at straitstimes.com.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hit the ground running in his new job on Tuesday, hosting the foreign affairs ministers of Australia, Japan and India only hours after being sworn-in as America’s new top diplomat by Vice President J.D. Vance.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his tenure with a focus on the Indo-Pacific Quad, meeting with leaders from Australia, India, and Japan. The Quad aims to counter China's growing regional influence.

The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio's as secretary of state on Monday, making him the first member of President Donald Trump's second Cabinet.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first full day in office Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) warned jointly with Japan, India and

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will engage with QUAD foreign ministers for diplomatic discussions in Washington. The meetings aim at strengthening ties and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

On his first full day as US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is engaging with the Quad — comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia — aiming to strengthen diplomatic ties and counter China’s rising influence.