It's really unexpected that Rubio has changed his attitude towards China so much! On February 14, when talking about China, US Secretary of State Rubio stated that not engaging in dialogue with China would be a dereliction of duty in terms of geopolitics. Our national interests often do not align, and China's interests will not fully coincide with ours. We expect China to act in its own national interest, just as we expect all sovereign countries to safeguard their own interests.
The goal of diplomacy is to deal with conflicts of interest between two countries properly and always strive to resolve issues peacefully. Obviously, Rubio's remarks are somewhat surprising. Such statements would never have been expected from the anti-China hawkish politician Rubio. Rubio's statement at least expresses three meanings. First, it is seeking dialogue with us.
Second, the United States is approaching us with an equal mindset, meaning it acknowledges that both China and the U.S. act based on their respective interests. Third, it emphasizes peace, believing that even if there are differences between China and the U.S., they should coexist peacefully. As for criticism of China, we saw none. This fully demonstrates that the U.S. is now dealing with us in a rational and pragmatic manner, and handling the Sino-U.S. relationship with caution.
Certainly, from our perspective, verbal rationality and pragmatism are a good sign, at least showing that Sino-U.S. relations are easing. However, actions moving in the same direction are more important. Rubio's shift can be seen as a microcosm of Sino-U.S. relations. The facts prove that we have the capability to make the U.S. realize that coexistence with us is in the mutual interest of both sides.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857108282320906/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.