By Danial Dzulkifly
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — US State Secretary Marco Rubio today reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to its longstanding ties with Southeast Asia, even as frustration mounts across the region over President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on Asean exports.
Rubio stressed that the United States is “not walking away” from the region, pointing to long-established relations in trade, defence and bilateral cooperation.
“There are 6,000 American companies directly invested in Southeast Asia. We’re not walking away from that. We’re not walking away from our defence ties. We’re not walking away from the strong economic ties we have in the region. On the contrary, we want to build on them,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
Rubio’s comments come amid concerns from several Asean countries that were slapped with punitive tariffs, including Malaysia.
On Wednesday, the US reimposed a 25 per cent tariff on Malaysian exports, an increase from the 24 per cent introduced three months ago.
Vietnam secured a reduced rate of 20 per cent after talks, but most other nations, including Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, face rates of up to 40 per cent.
Asked whether such tariffs risk pushing Asean nations closer to China, Rubio disagreed with the assertion, saying a trade reset is necessary and long overdue.
“These trade deficits are massive. It’s unfair to American workers and threatens our industrial capacity,” he said.
“If we were just targeting a few countries, I’d understand the concern, but we’re resetting tariff levels with virtually every country in the world.”
[caption id="attachment_407449" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
US State Secretary Marco Rubio takes part in a media briefing during the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on July 10, 2025. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
He said the Trump administration’s goal is not isolation, but fairness, arguing that many trading partners have built their economies around exporting to the US while contributing little in return.
Rubio, however, insisted that the US wants to maintain strong relationships across Southeast Asia, and points to the recent civil nuclear deal with Malaysia as an example of continued cooperation beyond trade.
He also expressed optimism about future cooperation with China, describing his bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Asean meet today as “constructive and positive”.
In response to media questions, Rubio said he supports the nomination of controversial social media personality Nick Adams as US ambassador to Malaysia.
“He went through our presidential personnel office process. I support the nomination and look forward to the Senate confirming him so he can be part of our team,” he said.
Adams, an Australian-born commentator known for his online presence and “alpha male” branding, has stirred controversy in the US for his combative rhetoric.
He has also expressed a slew of Islamophobic statements of content and has voiced his support for Israel, while branding supporters of Palestine those who “support terror”.
