Jakarta. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his ASEAN counterparts Wednesday that his country would invest roughly $2.5 billion in the region, but refused to describe it as “charity”. 

Rubio is currently in Manila as ASEAN’s chief diplomats held talks with regional powers. It was in this meeting that Rubio assured that Washington would stand with the group “100%”. Over the past year, the US has “leveraged all available tools” in its government to bolster the ties, including on foreign aid, according to Rubio.

“We are delivering $2.5 billion in US government strategic investments in Southeast Asia, reinforcing our commitment to the region,” Rubio said at the live broadcast session.

“We are investing because the development of ASEAN is also in the interest of the US. This is not charity. This is not something we're doing because we are nice people, although I believe we are nice people.”

Rubio did not give the specifics on the $2.5 billion investments. However, he did say that the US government’s investment arm, the International Development Finance Corporation, had greenlit $1.5 billion to advance the region’s “aviation infrastructure, energy security, and secure supply chains”.  

Rubio kept repeating that how the US engages with ASEAN nations remains within its national interests. The same goes for its interactions with major economies, alluding to Beijing. He indirectly assured the ASEAN nations that Washington’s rivalry with China would not take a toll on their alliance.

“We are a powerful country that has a global reach. So we have to have relations with powerful countries with whom we have some disagreements. But that will never come at the expense of our alliances, partners, and national interest,” Rubio said.

The rest of the discussion took place behind closed doors.

In a social media post, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono wrote that ASEAN and the US “complement each other’s strengths”. He revealed he had reminded Rubio of the “importance of dialogue”, hinting at the ongoing diplomatic efforts to cool down the US-Iran war.

Rubio is set to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the Manila gathering where the South China Sea tensions have loomed large.

Washington has slammed China's “aggressive actions” after the latter's coast guard allegedly injured a Filipino sailor during a clash at the waterway's disputed shoal.

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