Trump eyes Rubio for top diplomat, but will sanctions create chaos for US-China ties?

Analysts say if Donald Trump picks Marco Rubio for US secretary of state, it could signal more ‘confrontational’ approach to diplomacy

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Marco Rubio (right) is one of the most outspoken US senators on a wide range of issues that Beijing considers sensitive. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:55pm, 12 Nov 2024Updated: 10:54pm, 12 Nov 2024

US president-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated pick of Marco Rubio as his top diplomat would set a precedent by putting a China-sanctioned official in charge of handling relations with the world’s second-biggest power.

Trump is eyeing the Florida senator to serve as secretary of state when he returns to the White House, according to major US media outlets, potentially creating fresh turbulence in the already troubled waters of China-US ties.

Rubio, who is known for his hardline China policy, was sanctioned twice by Beijing in 2020 – first in retaliation for US measures against senior Chinese officials over the treatment of the Uygur ethnic minority group and again after mainland and Hong Kong officials were sanctioned following the 2019 protests in Hong Kong.

Analysts say the sanctions against Rubio could potentially pose a challenge for diplomatic exchanges between the two powers.

Zhu Feng, executive dean of Nanjing University’s school of international studies, said a cabinet that includes China hardliners such as Rubio and Florida congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, could “create chaos” and result in “greater instability” if they continue handling bilateral relations in an “emotional” and impulsive way.

“Their past performance indicated that they had leveraged a hardline stance against China to gain political capital and further boost their own popularity. Therefore, we are very concerned about [the potential impact on] bilateral relations looking ahead,” he said.