It was in 2020 when Beijing sanctioned the then Florida senator twice for promoting a bill that banned Chinese officials from entering the United States and for supporting the democratic movements in Hong Kong.

While Rubio’s anti-China rhetoric aligns with Washington’s broader geopolitical goals, the tools at his disposal are insufficient to match Beijing’s economic engagement.

Secretary of State Rubio spoke with China's Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

On his first full day as secretary of state, Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from a group of countries known as the Quad: the United States plus India, Japan and Australia, representing nearly 2 billion people and more than a third of global GDP.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has embarked on a trip to Central America, including Panama, as part of efforts to counter Chinas expanding influence in the region. According to a State Department spokesperson,