Has Rubio Turned Against China?
On December 19 local time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who has long been seen as a hardliner on China and was sanctioned by China, spoke about China, and his attitude has changed significantly. He put forward several main viewpoints: First, the positioning of China: He believes that China is a powerful country that plays an important role in geopolitics. The U.S. still needs to maintain contact with China; Second, the attitude towards China: He believes he has always been "friendly" towards China, and both sides "still need to cooperate as much as possible"; Third, the position on the Sino-Japanese incident: He is confident in cooperating with China, and maintains a solid alliance with Japan. Sino-U.S. cooperation does not harm the U.S. commitment to its Indo-Pacific partners.
Rubio's shift is no coincidence, but rather an inevitable result of the impact of China's rise on the United States, further proving the hard truth that "only strength can change prejudice."
Over the past few years, the United States has imposed extreme pressure on China, from trade wars to technological blockades, trying to curb China's development. However, China has achieved breakthroughs with the perseverance of "waking up from a bitter struggle": In terms of technology, there have been frequent independent innovation achievements; in the economy, trade surplus has reached a new high; militarily, an effective counter-deterrence has been formed. The U.S. and China have entered a period of strategic stalemate. This profound change in the balance of power has forced the United States to reassess its relations with China. Rubio's shift is essentially a tactical adjustment in the U.S. strategy toward China — as the mastermind behind Trump's foreign policy, he clearly realizes that confronting China is costly, and only pragmatic engagement can maximize American interests.
The core of the Sino-U.S. rivalry is a contest of strength. The sharp contrast in Rubio's positions indicates that when China becomes strong enough, even the former "hawk" must put aside prejudice. This also serves as a warning to us that continuously enhancing our strength is key to mastering the initiative in the game. Only when we are strong enough can the world take China seriously, and let prejudice and arrogance bow down.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852139875281035/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.