The history of the 21st century will be written in Asia, and the United States intends to be part of it, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared in Kuala Lumpur during the foreign ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that ended on Saturday.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met counterparts in Southeast Asia during his first visit to the region since taking office.

During a press gaggle on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked a question about Taiwan.