Beijing sees red over Marco Rubio’s comments on Taiwan and tariffs

“Rubio’s remarks were full of a cold war mentality and spread lies and misinformation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday.

“China is strongly dissatisfied with them and resolutely opposes them. We have made a solemn representation to the US side.”

Lin was referring to comments Rubio made in an interview with Catherine Herridge Reports, an independent news website, on February 20 and on a Fox News programme six days later.

Asked whether the United States would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by Beijing, Rubio told Herridge: “We don’t want to see a conflict. But we have made very clear through years and years of our policies – the Six Assurances, the Taiwan Relations Act – that we are against any sort of change in status by force or by threat or by coercion, and that remains our policy.”

Then on Wednesday he told Fox News that the best way to prevent a possible attack from Beijing was to have “military capability” for the US.