US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit China with US President Donald Trump later this month after appearing to show little interest in previous invitations from Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported today.
Rubio, the first sitting US secretary of state to be sanctioned by China, had been invited to visit but had not been “receptive” until recently, the Hong Kong-based newspaper said, citing anonymous sources.
Rubio’s attendance could smooth over some of the issues surrounding Trump’s visit to China, the report said, adding that frustration has been mounting in Beijing because of the lack of preparation for the trip.
Photo: AP
China imposed sanctions on Rubio in 2020 when he was still a senator — once in retaliation for US sanctions on Chinese officials over their treatment of Uighurs, and the second time in response to another round targeting Chinese and Hong Kong officials in the wake of the 2019 protests, the report said.
China has yet to clarify whether the sanctions would be waived, it said.
When asked about the matter in January last year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is necessary to maintain high-level communication between Chinese and US officials.
Sources believed that Rubio’s hesitation stemmed from his long-term stance toward China, as he might not want to be seen as softening his attitude, the report said.
However, he would not want to be absent from a globally significant summit, it said, citing sources.
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