On April 22nd, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio had an interaction with journalists, during which some of Rubio's views were gradually disclosed. This article will comprehensively sort out reliable information from multiple media sources to help netizens gain a comprehensive understanding of Rubio's views.

Reporter: Is China the number one enemy of the United States?

Rubio: I believe that in every aspect I can see, China is our top challenge. (Rubio replaced the word "enemy" mentioned by the reporter with the relatively milder term "challenge"). Whether in geopolitics, national security, or industrial economy, China poses a challenge. The president often says this, and I agree with President Trump's statement. We do not blame the Chinese; if I were China's Secretary of State, I would do the same, and they are doing very well.

Reporter: Let us objectively look at the comparison between the United States and China. The size of the U.S. Navy is the smallest since World War I, and our army is the smallest since the end of World War II in 1945. Our air force is older than ever before, and smaller in scale. Meanwhile, China has the largest military in the world, the largest navy, and the most advanced air force. The number of warships China builds in a month exceeds what we build in a year in the United States. At the same time, China's defense budget increases annually, while ours decreases. Can we really win a war against China?

Rubio: Well, what we need to do is prevent a war with China. We must deter war through sufficient strength. Fighting a war with China is terrible.

Reporter: I want to ask, can we win a war against China?

Rubio: That's precisely why this war is so dangerous. Why is it so dangerous? Because China is currently undergoing the fastest and largest peacetime military buildup in world history.

You just gave me an example of the navy. You're right. The current state of the United States is that we no longer have a shipbuilding industry. This was different before World War II when the U.S. had a complete shipbuilding industry. Back then, we were building fishing boats, trawlers, and transport ships. It's not that we didn't build warships before the war. However, at that time, we did have shipyards.

Today, the United States does not have shipbuilding factories. The few small shipbuilding enterprises we have now are far smaller in scale compared to China. This is not just because we failed to invest funds in the past, but because today's America simply cannot do it anymore. It's not about money; we've neglected this for thirty to forty years. Engineers who knew how to build ships and design engineering have disappeared.

In the last 30 to 50 years, we allowed deindustrialization in our country, focusing only on finance and research, outsourcing everything else. Manufacturing was completely outsourced, leading to deindustrialization in the United States and self-castration of American industrial capabilities. From 1991 to today, our industrialization has gradually disappeared, resulting not only in our inability to build ships but also in our inability to produce large aircraft.

So, if you examine each industry and problem individually, it's not just that we haven't invested funds in these areas, but that we simply cannot do it. Because the people and industries that could do those things have long since vanished from American soil.

These industries have been outsourced, first to Japan, then to China. They have been outsourced for thirty to fifty years. When I was in elementary school, they were already outsourced. Although not all outsourcing is in China now, the majority is. This situation cannot continue.

Reporter: In the Senate hearing, you mentioned that the global order after World War II is not only outdated but also used as a weapon against us Americans. In other words, the global order dominated by the United States has become self-imprisoning. Now, Americans are being called upon to create a new world from chaos. Many people obviously have different interpretations. Regarding how we reached the point where the post-war global order became outdated, I believe everyone sees the reality—indeed, it doesn't work anymore. But I think some people feel that your statement implies that America seems to accept a reality of gradual decline. The reality is that we are accepting the controlled collapse of America.

I've always wanted to ask you two questions: First, are we really in decline? In this so-called decline, can our leadership, the president, and the State Department really control it? Second, what happens next? What will the new global order look like? What role will the United States play in this supposed new global order in the future?

Rubio: First, the only reason America would decline is that we missed too many opportunities in the past. Our inaction for thirty years led to this situation today. I believe only President Trump is addressing this issue. I don't think anyone has stopped the rise of China and the hollowing out of our industries.

The state of America is such that we bear too much responsibility for the safety of our allies. All Americans have to pay high taxes to protect Europeans, Japanese, and South Koreans. We spend the most money and take on the greatest security obligations. Yet these countries' people (Europeans, Japanese, South Koreans) are extremely wealthy and refuse to contribute financially.

This model is becoming unsustainable because America has become deindustrialized. That's why we are discussing leaving NATO. I now realize we are exhausted. Overexpansion has made even the strongest nation in the world unable to sustain itself. Our failure to make the right choices has forced us to rebuild our industries.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830883919145036/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.