WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As Secretary of State, United States President-elect Donald Trump signaled that his foreign policy toward China could go beyond tariffs and trade, taking a more aggressive stance toward China. the country’s main strategic rival.
Rubio’s announcement on Wednesday came alongside other cabinet picks that could upset China, such as Rep. Mike Waltz for national security adviser and John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). .
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The picks suggest Trump wants to reverse President Joe Biden’s administration’s approach of “managing competition” with Beijing on issues ranging from support for Taiwan to the Asian giant’s role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
Republicans have criticized Biden’s position as too conciliatory.
Rubio “believes in his heart that China is the enemy of the United States,” said David Firestein, a former U.S. diplomat with experience in China. “That will influence everything he does regarding China.”
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Trump has promised to end China’s status as the most favored country in trade and impose tariffs on Chinese imports exceeding 60% – much higher than those imposed during his first term.
Rubio is almost certain to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, where he is a senior member of the foreign relations and intelligence committees.
The senator’s support for Hong Kong democracy protesters earned him Chinese sanctions in 2020.
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This would be the first time China has had active travel restrictions on a US secretary of state, presenting an early test of how Beijing could engage with the new Trump administration.
In turn, Rubio has advocated imposing visa sanctions on Chinese officials in the US and pressured the State Department to block Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee from traveling to San Francisco for the 2023 APEC summit.
China’s embassy in Washington has not commented on the sanctions on Rubio or his appointment, but spokesman Liu Pengyu said Beijing hopes to work with the new administration to promote ties “in a stable, healthy and sustainable direction.”
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It is unclear how much leeway Trump — who has already praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping — will give his new top diplomat to adopt restrictions on China, especially those that clash with his administration’s other goals.
“The (Trump foreign policy) team is clearly aggressive toward China, but it can be counted on to follow the leader if he shifts from confrontation with Beijing to the art of negotiation,” said Daniel Russel of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Some analysts believe Beijing may try to bypass Rubio and seek a compromise directly between Xi and Trump, or with other senior US officials.
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“If this doesn’t work, I think we’re going to get into a much more regular escalation of a bad relationship,” said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
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