Marco Rubio to China: Stop messing with Philippines, Taiwan
Metro Manila, Philippines — US Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio had strong words for China in its increasingly destabilizing actions toward the Philippines and Taiwan: “Stop messing around.”
The statement was a purview of the Trump administration’s policy towards its allies in the volatile region.
"If the Chinese are in fact serious about stabilizing US-China relations and finding ways in which we can cooperate and avoid conflict, then they will not do anything rash or irrational when it comes to Taiwan or the Philippines," said Rubio during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 15.
He said the United States has strong commitments to Manila and Taipei, and that these commitments are non-negotiable.
Rubio called on Beijing to halt its provocations in the region.
"They really need to stop messing around with Taiwan and with the Philippines because it’s forcing us to focus our attention in ways we prefer not to have to," Rubio added.
Rubio also highlighted growing tensions in the South China Sea, specifically pointing out the presence of China's large ship in Philippine waters.
He minced no words in describing the deeply concerning situation, and acknowledged the legitimate threat felt by the Philippines.
"It’s the Philippines, okay, in the last 48 hours there's this massive - I don’t even know how to describe it - but this massive ship that the Chinese have built that's headed towards the Philippines, and the Philippines feels threatened by it, rightfully so. We’ve seen this on a daily basis with harassment and so forth," he said.
"If God forbid there is some miscommunication or an inadvertent conflict emerges there, and we have obligations to them, the impact that will have on the entire globe is enormous. And that includes Europe," Rubio warned.
Throughout his five-hour confirmation hearing, Rubio reiterated that China remains America’s greatest strategic challenge.
He cautioned against "unbalanced relations" with Beijing, stressing the potentially catastrophic consequences of failing to address China’s aggressive actions.
Rubio is expected to receive broad bipartisan support for his confirmation. Both Republicans and Democrats have praised him as a “responsible choice” for the position, acknowledging his diplomatic expertise and commitment to US interests.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson previously said that the US-PH alliance will remain robust and could transcend administrations.
“I am extremely confident that the US-Philippine relations will remain steadfast, will remain steadfast friends and ironclad allies, as well as partners in prosperity, no matter who wins the election in the United States today,” she said.
