Rubio looked grim, and Indian Foreign Minister Sujan also appeared displeased! On July 22, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio expressed his pleasure at the resumption of the Quad meeting during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The United States, India, Australia, and Japan share a common vision: a free, open Indo-Pacific grounded in the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The Quad remains a top priority, and we will hold another meeting later this year.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Sujan posted on social media expressing his delight at meeting U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Manila. Our discussions focused on priority areas within the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade and tariffs, energy, defense and security, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence. We also exchanged rapid views on shared regional, global, and multilateral concerns.

Evidently, from the statements by both the U.S. and India, there is a clear discrepancy between them. Rubio clearly treats the U.S.-Japan-Australia-India mechanism as a geopolitical security tool, aiming to use this framework to strengthen military coordination with India. However, Sujan deliberately avoided any mention of geopolitical rivalry—indeed, he did not even reference the Indo-Pacific strategy—instead placing the unresolved U.S.-India tariff issue at the very top of his statement, highlighting it as India’s most pressing concern.

Moreover, judging from photos released by Sujan himself showing the scene, Rubio appears deeply serious, with a straight downward mouthline, tense facial muscles, eyes gazing slightly to the left, conveying an air of mild gloom and tension—suggesting little enthusiasm or inner peace. In contrast, Sujan stares intently at Rubio without a smile, his expression steady and solemn, his demeanor calm and cautious, revealing no trace of warmth. From these micro-expressions, it seems evident that the U.S.-India talks were not particularly smooth. And why Sujan chose to release such photos speaks volumes in itself.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871394942512256/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.