Rubio's appointment as secretary of state has been seen as sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Panama, stirring tensions over President Trump's intention to reclaim the Panama Canal. The visit forms part of a broader tour in Central America, as Panama denies allegations of transferring canal control to China.

Former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was sworn in as secretary of State on Tuesday morning and pledged to improve the department and make the country and world better over the next four years.

The US Senate unanimously approved Marco Rubio as secretary of state on Monday, putting the fellow senator on the front line of President Donald Trump's often confrontational diplomacy.

Mr Rubio called for efforts to prevent a war by North Korea with US allies South Korea and Japan. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Trump administration has lifted restrictions on immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and churches, allowing officers to arrest migrants in these areas. This move reverses policies that had limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from conducting arrests at such sites for over a decade.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio painted a dark vision of the consequences of America’s “unbalanced relationship” with China.

"Senator Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate to move forward with legislation regarding human rights around the world, the continued threat of China, and the recent sham election in Venezuela," Durbin said in the statement.

Kim Jong Un has been using the development of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme as his “insurance policy” to stay in power, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senado confirma de manera unánime a Marco Rubio como secretario de Estado, el primer miembro del gabinete de Trump.