China since he took office

However, China’s domestic public opinion seems strongly against lifting sanctions against Rubio. They argue that even though he was sanctioned by China twice, he does not seem to repent or mend his ways but has been making trouble for China since he took office as the new US Secretary of State. For example, at the Senate nomination hearing on 16 January, Rubio made comments, claiming that China “cheated to obtain superpower status” at the expense of the United States, and stressed that the US must help Taiwan implement the “porcupine strategy” to foil China’s effort to attack Taiwan. Then, on 21 January, a day after taking office, he met with top diplomats from Japan, India, and Australia, demonstrating his focus on Asia, especially on issues relating to China. Again, on 22 January, Rubio had his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, supporting the Philippines in “condemning” สล็อต