Rubio Secretary Issues Statement to Celebrate the Lunar New Year
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio issued a statement on February 16 local time, extending festival greetings to all people celebrating the Lunar New Year. This day is the Eve of the Lunar New Year, and the first day of the Year of the Horse will arrive the next day.
Here is the full translation of the Lunar New Year message:
"Celebrating the Lunar New Year"
Secretary of State Rubio
February 16, 2026
I am pleased to represent the United States of America in extending warmest wishes to all people celebrating the Lunar New Year.
As we enter the Year of the Horse, we pay tribute to the traditional customs that make this festival meaningful for millions of people in the United States and around the world. The Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions, reflecting on the past, and looking forward to the opportunities of the coming year with hope and determination.
May the new year bring health, happiness, and success to all celebrants.
Comments: It has become a routine for high-level officials in the United States to issue greetings during the Lunar New Year in recent years. Essentially, it is a polite statement aimed at the Asian community, countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and the global Chinese community, maintaining basic diplomatic etiquette and a multicultural stance domestically. This is a typical low-cost diplomatic courtesy.
Rubio only mentions the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse throughout his statement, not a single word about "Chinese New Year" or the cultural essence of China. This is not an oversight but a deliberate effort to neutralize and de-identify it, neither offending Asians nor compromising his consistently tough stance towards China, thus avoiding any offense on both sides.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1857327692896267/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.