None of the four mentioned China by name in their brief comments to reporters before the formal meeting began, but the challenges posed by Beijing throughout the Pacific and elsewhere have been a central theme of the U.S.-Australia relationship for years. Rubio, Hegseth, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles gathered at the State Department, with many eyes also on the Russia-Ukraine war, a fragile ceasefire in Gaza and U.S. military strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Western Hemisphere that have raised questions about the use of force there. In a separate one-on-one meeting after the four-way talks, the State Department said Rubio and Wong “discussed their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, emphasizing cooperation to combat online scam operations and supporting further strategic infrastructure projects across the Pacific.”
Author: Matthew Lee, Associated Press
Published at: 2025-12-08 22:36:14
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