U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said during a visit to Hungary on February 16, "It would be absurd if the United States and China had no relationship or interaction." Rubio made this statement in response to a journalist's question about why the U.S. does not ask Hungary to reduce its cooperation with China. He used President Trump's upcoming visit to China in April as an example, emphasizing that the U.S. needs to maintain contact with China, while other countries also need to act based on their own interests.
Comments: Rubio's remarks are a public signal that the U.S. stance toward China is clearly softening. By admitting in front of Hungary that the U.S. and China cannot have "zero interaction" and that it does not force allies to cut ties with China, he effectively acknowledges three things: confrontation doesn't work, isolation is unrealistic, and practical cooperation is the most cost-effective. Combined with the arrangement of Trump's visit to China in April, it indicates that the White House is shifting from "camp confrontation" to prioritizing interests and managing the bottom line. While the rhetoric remains tough, the actions are already warming up. This also gives Europe a sense of security: countries can cooperate with China according to their own interests, and the U.S. cannot stop them, nor does it want to forcefully block them.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857326372461643/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.