The son of immigrants from Cuba, Marco Rubio took the post of Secretary of State of the United States of America. He is known as one of the leading proponents of a strong policy towards China.
On Monday, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State. He thus became the first high-ranking official of the new administration to be approved by the upper house of Congress a few hours after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. TASR informs about it according to the AFP agency.
Rubio, 53, the son of immigrants from Cuba, is the first person of Hispanic descent and the first person fluent in Spanish to hold the post of head of US diplomacy. The confirmation vote in the Senate was 99-0, with no senators voting against the nomination. One seat is vacant following the departure of Vice President JD Vance.
“Given the current uncertainty around the world, it is in America’s interest not to miss this role and fill it immediately,” Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, declared at the meeting. Despite occasional disagreements, she said she is convinced that Rubio has the skills, knowledge also the qualifications to become US Secretary of State.
A strong policy against China
Rubio is known as one of the leading advocates of a strong policy towards China, as well as his support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, which even earned him sanctions from Beijing in 2020.
Already during the hearing before the Senate in January, he promised a vigorous foreign policy focused on American interests. He noted that he sees the world in chaos and it will not be easy to restore order.
“But it can happen, and it will only happen, if it is built on a simple foundational element — a strong and confident America engaged in a world built primarily on our national interests,” Rubio said at the time.
