(Reuters) -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.

China’s relations are starting to improve with Japan, India and other countries that former U.S. President Joe Biden courted, just as Donald Trump brings his more unilateralist approach back to

Pacific, Biden’s diplomacy made America more secure by deepening its economic and security partnerships in the region, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the White House said in a fact sheet that highlighted some of the key achievements of the Biden administration.

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

President-elect Donald Trump plans has discussed his prospective India visit with his advisors. He also seeks to travel to China after he takes office. Trump's upcoming visit is likely to take place in April this year or in the fall later this year.

At noon today, Donald Trump took the presidential oath for a second time, capping a historic political comeback to the White House. As he did on the campaign trail, Trump painted a dark picture of America and took aim at President Joe Biden's leadership as his predecessor sat just steps away.

On his first full day as secretary of state, Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from a group of countries known as the Quad: the United States plus India, Japan and Australia, representing nearly 2 billion people and more than a third of global GDP.

The United States, Australia, India, and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, warning against the use of force to change the status quo. They plan to hold a summit in India and address regional security issues,

The Quad meeting was also attended by foreign ministers, Penny Wong from Australia and Takeshi Iwaya from Japan

On his first full day as secretary of state, Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from a group of countries known as the Quad, which is made up of the United States plus India, Japan and Australia,

Donald Trump always said he would put America first. His barnstorming return to executive power shows he intends to do so with an American fist.