Rubio urges 'cautious approach' to Taiwan in first talk with Chinese foreign minister
Photo: Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State (Getty Images)
The new US Secretary of State, during his first phone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, expressed concerns over Beijing's aggressive behavior towards Taiwan and in the South China Sea, according to the US State Department and Bloomberg.
According to US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, during the conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration would maintain relations with Beijing that "advances US interests and puts the American people first."
"The secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea," the State Department representative said.
In turn, Wang told Rubio that China and the US must implement the "important consensus" reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Trump.
The Chinese Foreign Minister also reiterated that Beijing will never allow Taiwan to be "separated" from the Chinese mainland and urged the US to carefully handle related issues.
Western media consider this first official dialogue, which took place on Friday, as a sign that US-China relations may deteriorate and enter a period of turbulence.
Bloomberg reminded that Rubio is viewed as a "hawk" in his stance on China. At the beginning of January, during his confirmation hearings for the position of Secretary of State, he accused Beijing of a hacking attack, among other things.
Earlier, China imposed sanctions on Rubio, a long-time former member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. These measures were taken by Beijing against the US politician for promoting legislation that penalizes China for human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
It was also reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently had a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the conversation, he noted that he looks forward to "working together on Ukraine, Russia, and China."
On January 21, it was reported that Rubio, immediately after his Senate confirmation as Secretary of State, commented on the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine. He expressed the view that both sides "will have to give something up."
