Washington DC:
The United States’ incoming Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who keeps a hawkish eye on Beijing, has used the choicest of adjectives to describe China’s ascent to global superpower status. Without mincing his words, Mr Rubio, who will give new direction to the US’ foreign policy outlook, called China a liar, a cheat, and a thief, while blaming it for cyber-crimes and espionage.
Speaking about the goodwill extended by the US to China in a repenting tone, Mr Rubio said, “We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities,” adding that “Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked, and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense.”
Indicating an abrupt foreign policy shift under Donald Trump, Mr Rubio highlighted that “The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us.” He went on to reject Joe Biden’s foreign policy stance of having a US-led “liberal world order” which prioritises a rules-based system. Instead he advocated an aggressive US stance under Trump’s leadership, revolving around its core obejective – ‘America First’.
Keeping China at its epicenter, Mr Rubio warned of the dangers of a coming-together of “dictatorships” around the world, saying that besides Beijing, “the dictators of Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang sow chaos and instability” in the world.
Speaking about the Russia-Ukraine war, Mr Rubio said that Donald Trump’s incoming administration will take “decisive decisions” and act on “bold diplomacy” in order to end the war in Ukraine on priority.
He also made it clear that from January 20, all foreign policy decisions will be made solely on the basis of one foremost criteria – “Whether decisions make the United States safer, stronger and more prosperous.”
“While America far too often continued to prioritise the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest,” he said, adding that America will now do the same.
Marco Rubio, the son of working-class Cuban immigrants, will become the first Hispanic and first fluent Spanish speaker to become the US Secretary of State.
