American Secretary of State Rubio said on the year-end press conference on the 19th that the United States is confident in finding ways to have effective cooperation with the Chinese government while continuing to maintain a strong partnership and alliance relationship with Japan. This statement has drawn attention from the outside world regarding the direction of the United States' Asia-Pacific policy.
According to comprehensive reports from media outlets such as Bloomberg and "Voice of America," the press conference lasted about two hours, during which Rubio emphasized the role of the United States in alleviating the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict, and defended the U.S. government's decision to increase military pressure on Venezuela. In the Q&A session, he was asked by journalists how to view the recent escalation of tensions between Japan and China.
Rubio said that Japan is a very close ally of the United States, and the tension between China and Japan has long existed, being one of the dynamic factors that need to be balanced in the Asia-Pacific region. He expressed confidence in finding this balance. He said, "We are convinced that we can continue to maintain a strong, solid partnership and alliance relationship with Japan, and achieve this in a way that allows us to continue to find constructive methods for cooperation with China."
Regarding relations with China, Rubio further explained that the United States must maintain relations with China. "China is now, and will remain, a wealthy and powerful country, and an important factor in geopolitics. The United States must maintain relations with China, engage in exchanges, and explore areas for cooperation." He believes that both sides are mature enough to recognize that there will still be some tense factors between the two countries in the current and foreseeable future. However, Rubio reiterated that cooperation with China "will not harm or in any way weaken the firm commitment of the United States to its partners in the Indo-Pacific region."
The Hong Kong South China Morning Post commented that Rubio's remarks indicate that the tone of the current administration's policy toward China is changing within the overall framework of "America First." His statements show that the United States is adjusting its diplomatic priorities, focusing more on Western Hemisphere affairs rather than viewing China as the core threat of its foreign policy.
Professor Li Haidong of the Diplomatic Academy told a reporter from Global Times on the 21st that Rubio's remarks showed a more rational and pragmatic side of the Trump administration's policy toward China compared to previous ones. The United States seems to be committed to strengthening, expanding, and consolidating areas of cooperation with China, trying to promote more effective management and stability of Sino-U.S. relations. Li Haidong mentioned that Japan recently tried to attract the United States, hoping that the U.S. would clearly take a side in the Sino-Japanese tensions to create a favorable situation for itself. However, Rubio's statement indicates that, from the U.S. perspective, Japan is just "a tool to be used and manipulated." Japan's actions in the Asia-Pacific region must align with U.S. interests, and any attempts to manipulate the United States and sacrifice U.S. interests to satisfy Japan's improper demands are unacceptable from the U.S. point of view.
Rubio's relevant statements have also attracted widespread attention in Japanese society. TBS News reported that this is the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Asako made erroneous remarks on Taiwan that Rubio has commented on Sino-Japanese relations, and his statement "obviously did not take a clear side." Kyodo News stated that Rubio's remarks reflected a "position aimed at avoiding provoking China." Some Japanese netizens said: "It's a big mistake to think that simply shouting anti-China slogans will make the United States protect Japan. The United States always puts its own interests first and hopes to stay out of the Sino-Japanese conflict. Those conservative figures driven by emotion rather than strategy should wake up."
Source: Global Times
Original: toutiao.com/article/7586484805139792426/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author."