'Necessary to maintain contact,' says China on possible phone call with US' Marco Rubio

ANKARA

On the prospect of a phone call with the new US secretary of state, China’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it is “necessary” for the countries’ top officials to keep in touch.

“As a matter of principle, it is necessary for high-level officials Chinese and American officials to maintain contact in an appropriate way, while China will firmly defend its national interests," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said when asked whether China plans to have a phone conversation with Marco Rubio.

In 2020, China sanctioned top US Republicans including Rubio after Washington imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in its northwestern Xinjiang province.

However, on Tuesday, China signaled that it would engage with Rubio, who was sworn into his new post just this week.

Rubio is known as a hawk on China, once calling the state Communist Party a “potent” and “dangerous” adversary.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid