Breaking News: US Secretary of State Blinken speaks on the phone with Wang Yi

On Friday, January 24, newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The content of their conversation has not been disclosed at this time.

Prior to this, Rubio had been sanctioned twice by the Chinese government for criticizing human rights issues in China.

Rubio was nominated by President Trump and received bipartisan approval at his confirmation hearing to be the new Secretary of State, causing the Chinese authorities to feel uneasy. They quietly changed his official translated name to “魯比奧” in an attempt to downplay his influence.

During a regular press conference on January 21, a US media outlet asked if China would lift sanctions on Rubio. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun did not give a direct response, only mentioning the need for high-level officials from both countries to maintain contact in an appropriate manner.

As a former Republican federal senator from Florida, Rubio has always taken a tough stance on China and has long been concerned about human rights abuses by the Chinese government. During his confirmation hearing, he emphasized the importance of adopting a strong position in US-China policy.

Regarding the highly watched situation in the Taiwan Strait, Rubio warned that unless there is a significant change such as a balance of power that makes Beijing think the cost of interfering with Taiwan is too high, the US may have to respond to Chinese actions towards Taiwan before the end of the 2020s.