United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Philippine colleague Enrique Manalo discussed the bilateral cooperation between the two countries and "China's destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea, according to a readout from the State Department.
The two officials met during the Munich Security Conference, with Rubio reaffirming Washington's commitment to its alliance with the Philippines.
They also agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of resource extraction, infrastructure, and energy.