The threat of punitive tariffs, critical minerals and the AUKUS partnership – not the future of Kevin Rudd’s ambassadorship – formed the basis of Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s first meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

She will join other foreign ministers from the Quad group in talks with new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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

Rubio called China the "most potent, dangerous adversary" during his confirmation and is expected to work with India, Japan, and Australia to counter this.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Quad counterparts - India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia's Penny Wong - at the US Department of State here on Tuesday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan as the Trump administration kicks off its formal foreign policy engagements in discussions with the Indo-Pacific “Quad.

The lawsuit challenging the president’s executive order marks the beginning of what is expected to be a protracted legal battle over immigration policy.