Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked a sharp rebuke from Beijing over his comments on the South China Sea in one of his first foreign policy statements since taking office.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila and condemned Beijing for its "dangerous and destabilising" actions in the Sea, in his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Top diplomats from China and India will meet next week in Beijing as the nuclear-armed neighbors try to repair ties marred by a border dispute nearly five years ago.

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Beijing on Jan. 26-27 to discuss steps to boost ties with China, as the Asian neighbours revive relations that were strained since a deadly military clash on their disputed frontier in 2020.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Beijing on January 26 and 27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China.Ministry of External Affairs said in a release that the resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations,

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Beijing’s “dangerous and destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea in his early days in office, while reaffirming Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to defend the Philippines.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the United States under President Donald Trump remained committed to the Philippines' defense, as tensions simmer with Beijing in the South China Sea.