Beijing. China’s Foreign Minister has given an indirect warning to America’s new Secretary of State and asked him to behave responsibly. Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave this message in a phone call. This was the first conversation between the two after Marco Rubio was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s top diplomat four days ago. “I hope you will behave responsibly,” Wang told Rubio, according to a State Department statement.
In China this phrase is commonly used by a teacher or boss to warn a student or employee to behave well and take a responsible stance towards their actions. This brief phrase appears to be a response to Rubio’s vocal criticism of China and its human rights record. Earlier, as a US senator, Rubio had made these criticisms, which provoked the Chinese government to impose sanctions on him twice in 2020.
At the same time, this phrase has not been mentioned in the American statement. But it said Rubio told Wang that the Trump administration would put US interests first in its relations with China and expressed serious concerns over China’s “aggressive actions in Taiwan and the South China Sea”. When Wang was foreign minister in 2020, China imposed sanctions on Rubio in July and August.
Rubio was sanctioned first in response to US sanctions on Chinese officials over the crackdown on the Uighur minority in the Xinjiang region and then over interference in Hong Kong. These restrictions include a ban on travel to China. The Chinese government has indicated that it will negotiate with Rubio as foreign minister, but has not said explicitly whether it will allow him to visit the country for talks.
