China Opens The Possibility Of Communication With US Foreign Minister Rubio

JAKARTA - The Chinese government said there is still a possibility to communicate with the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is known to have been sanctioned by China in 2020 for having defended the Hong Kong democracy movement.

"China will firmly defend its national interests, but top Chinese and American officials need to maintain proper communication contact," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing, Tuesday, January 21.

The United States Senate (US) on Monday (20/1) approved Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, making him the first official in Donald Trump's administration to approve on the day of the presidential inauguration.

Communication between the top officials, said Guo Jiakun, also included the possibility of President Trump's visit to China.

"Under the strategic direction of the two heads of state and based on the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation, China is ready to work closely with the new US government to maintain communication, strengthen cooperation, manage differences appropriately, and achieve greater progress in China-US relations from new starting points," Guo Jiakun replied diplomatically when asked by reporters about the possibility of Trump's arrival.

Rubio himself will carry out his duties amid various crises and global conflicts, including Russia's war against Ukraine as well as the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon involving Israel.

Rubio, 53, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010, is known for his hardline stance on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and China.

However, lately it is increasingly aligned with Trump's foreign policy, including supporting calls to end Russia's war in Ukraine, which he says has reached a destallation' and needs to be resolved immediately.

Rubio also led efforts to ban TikTok, arguing that the app spreads "propaganda pro-Hamas, anti-Israel" and poses "an existential threat to our country."

In a fit and proper test session in the US Senate on Wednesday (15/1), Rubio said that China was "the most powerful and dangerous enemy the US has ever faced".

Rubio said China had elements that the Soviet Union never had. "China is also an enemy and competitor to technology, an industry competitor, an economic competitor, a geopolitical competitor, a scientific competitor now in every field. This is an extraordinary challenge," Rubio said.

In the feasibility test session, Rubio said much of China's growth had sacrificed the US and "in less than 10 years, almost everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not... ranging from blood pressure drugs we consume to what films we can watch."

Rubio is known to have been sanctioned by the Chinese government on August 10, 2020 along with Republican politicians Ted Cruz and 9 others. Rubio and Cruz are known to be vocal supporters of the Hong Kong democracy movement in 2019