Rubio: US-China relationship is the century’s biggest challenge
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the 21st century will be defined by Washington’s relationship with Beijing, calling China both a competitor and an adversary.
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Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington on January 15, 2025. (AP)
The relationship between Washington and Beijing is the single biggest challenge shaping the 21st century, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview published Tuesday.
“I think it’s the biggest challenge we face. Because the 21st century is going to be defined by the relationship between the US and China,” Rubio told Sid Rosenberg of Sid and Friends in the Morning, according to the State Department transcript.
Rubio described China as both a competitor and an adversary in areas ranging from technology and trade to military, intelligence, and geopolitics.
“They basically want to gain at our expense. That’s a fact,” he said, adding that both countries might benefit from “a period of strategic stability.”
Rubio emphasized the need for the United States to rebuild industries it had outsourced to China, arguing that reducing reliance on Chinese goods was critical for national security and economic stability.
Trump announces another 90-day pause on China tariffs
Donald Trump has once again postponed the implementation of broad tariffs on China, announcing a fresh 90-day delay just hours before the current trade agreement between the two economic giants was set to expire.
On Monday, the US president signed an executive order extending the deadline for increased tariffs until November 9, officials confirmed to Reuters.
Earlier that day, Chinese officials had expressed hope that Washington would pursue a “positive” outcome as the temporary trade truce, originally agreed to in May, approached its expiration.
“We hope that the US will work with China to follow the important consensus reached during the phone call between the two heads of state," said foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, "on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit."
Chinese and US officials had signaled for weeks that a tariff extension was likely, following a recent round of trade talks held in Stockholm last month. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that negotiations with China showed promise, describing the current state of talks as having “the makings” of a deal and expressing optimism about the path forward.
