Rubio flew to China under different name to dodge sanctions
Marco Rubio (photo: Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to China on Tuesday alongside President Donald Trump, despite being under sanctions. However, this became possible thanks to a "new name," according to AFP.
As the AFP writes, Rubio, while a US senator, fiercely defended human rights in China. For this, China imposed sanctions against him twice.
But on Tuesday, China stated that it would not hinder Rubio's visit — his first trip to China — as he flies there with Trump aboard the presidential plane Air Force One.
"The sanctions target Mr. Rubio's words and deeds when he served as a US senator concerning China," explained Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu.
How the sanctions were bypassed
AFP notes that shortly before Rubio took office as secretary of state in January 2025, the Chinese government and state media began using a different Chinese character. Specifically, the character for the first syllable of his surname, which means dew.
Two diplomats said that, in their opinion, this change allows China to issue an official visa, because previously Rubio had been banned from entering the country when his surname was spelled differently.
Why Rubio fell out of favor and how everything changed
Marco Rubio was a key author of the congressional bill that imposed sweeping sanctions on China over the alleged use of forced labor involving the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority. He also spoke out against Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong.
During his confirmation hearings for the position of Secretary of State, Rubio devoted significant attention to China, calling it an unprecedented adversary.
However, since taking office, Rubio has supported Donald Trump, who refers to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a friend and has focused on building trade relations.
At the same time, last year Rubio provided some reassurance to Taiwan. He stated that the Trump administration would not negotiate the future of the self-governing democracy in exchange for a trade deal with China.
Trump’s visit to China
As previously reported, China’s Foreign Ministry officially confirmed several days ago that US President Donald Trump will arrive in the country on an official visit. The trip will last from May 13 to May 15.
Yesterday, while speaking with reporters, the White House chief said he plans to have a long conversation with Xi Jinping about the war with Iran. At the same time, he downplayed the likelihood that he would need Beijing’s help in resolving the conflict.
Trump also announced that he would discuss many topics with Xi Jinping, but above all — trade.
