Unprecedented harsh statements about China!

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in the program of the famous American journalist Megyn Kelly after this visit, where he provided clarifications about the foreign policy model of the Trump administration, its agenda, and its main axes. In this interview that lasted for more than an hour, he spoke in detail about the content of the 'America First' policy and the US-China rivalry.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENTS:

US Secretary of State: The United States must decisively resolve the threat posed by China at any cost!

In his speech, Rubio referred to the formation of a multipolar world in different regions of the world, with China at the forefront, followed by Russia, as well as North Korea, Iran, and other "dangerous" countries.

He added in his speech, "There are now many countries that have the ability to end life on Earth. So we have to do our best to avoid armed conflict, but we must not sacrifice our national interests. So this is a very difficult balance to maintain."

When asked by journalist Megyn Kelly about the status of countries such as Russia and China compared to 4 years ago, Rubio replied that he believes that "Russia and China have become stronger than they were 4 years ago."

He said of China:

"I often say that our competitors have become stronger in the last four years. Russia certainly does not see itself as weaker than it was four years ago. Because now they control territory that they did not control when President Donald Trump ended his first term. In the Indo-Pacific, you see every day—not just Taiwan, but the Philippines, being subjected to aggression by the Chinese military. We see Chinese aggression spreading all over the world. We see China using coercive tactics not only with its immediate neighbors, but elsewhere in the world as well."

The Chinese worldview is that they believe they will be the world's greatest power by 2035-2050. In their minds, they think, 'We are going to rise; America is going to decline. The West and America are going to decline.' To them, the West, and especially America, is a tired, exhausted, old power that is inevitably on the path of decline.

According to reports, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Rubio by phone last Friday after he took office. In the Chinese statement on the content of the phone call, Wang Yi reportedly told Rubio, “I hope you will act according to the rules.” But the Chinese words chosen were those typically used when teachers give instructions to students or employers order employees.

Asked by Megyn Kelly whether that tone was actually used in the call, Rubio denied it, noting that China often plays such diplomatic games. He added:

“I know about it. Some people have told me about it. It’s one of the two games they (China) always play. First, they issue English and Chinese translations of these conversations. They don’t match. In my phone conversation with Wang Yi, I was very short and direct, saying, ‘You act according to Chinese interests, and I act according to American interests. We are two major powers; we cooperate where we can, and we manage our differences appropriately to prevent catastrophic consequences.’ My translator didn’t translate a sentence with that tone. But they came up with this game. They (China) like to play these kinds of games.”

"If you look at the English text that we received, there is no such talk. This is ridiculous and disrespectful of relations. What really matters here are our decisions. China wants to be the most powerful country in the world, but they are trying to achieve this at the expense of defeating us. This is not in line with our national interests, so we will solve this problem. Of course we do not want war, but we will solve this matter no matter what."

When anchor Megyn Kelly asked Rubio to elaborate on the relationship between the Panama Canal and China, Rubio explained why the Panama Canal is such a hot topic for the Trump administration:

“Well, they’re all over Panama. A few years ago, Panama broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan, declared non-recognition of Taiwan, and decided to cooperate with Beijing… As a result, they brought in a lot of Chinese construction projects. Their main investment project was the inlets and outlets of the Panama Canal and its banks. Some people argue, unknowingly, ‘This is not China; this is a Hong Kong-based company.’ Yes, a Hong Kong-based company means a Chinese company. It’s like the ByteDance and TikTok debate, Hong Kong has now lost its autonomy, and they do what the Chinese government tells them to do.”

RUBIO CONTINUED:

“If the Chinese government tells them to close the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict, they should do it. In fact, I’m pretty sure they have such a contingency plan. This is a direct threat to us.”

Rubio recalled that the Panama Canal was originally built with great American investment and effort and that thousands of Americans lost their lives in its construction and continued by saying:

"This is a technical detail. In fact, if China wanted to obstruct traffic in the Panama Canal, it could do so immediately. This is a fact. In my opinion, this is a violation of the treaty (signed between the United States and Panama). This is what President Trump also emphasizes. This situation cannot continue. We must solve this problem not only because we paid a lot of money and sacrificed a lot of lives to build this canal, but also because it is contrary to our national interests. The canal that we built cannot become a weapon and a pressure card against us one day."

"I hope that we will solve this problem quickly. Whatever the case, the basic reality of the Panama Canal cannot be replaced. We cannot allow any foreign power, especially China, to have such hidden control over Panama. We cannot allow this to continue at all."