China Responds Cautiously to Trump's Anti-China Line: "Cannot Comment on US Internal Affairs"

Trump 2nd Term Cabinet Anti-China Lineup
Chinese Foreign Ministry "Consistent US Policy"

On the 4th, the day before the U.S. presidential election (local time), Senator Marco Rubio appeared at the campaign site with former President Donald Trump. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Regarding reports that President-elect Donald Trump will appoint a second-term foreign and security team with an anti-China stance ahead of his inauguration, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs took a cautious stance, stating that it is a domestic matter of the United States. This is interpreted as a strategy to avoid friction before the launch of the Trump second-term administration.

On the 12th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Zhen said at a regular briefing that when asked about the impact on bilateral relations if Trump appoints China critics to the foreign and security line, "The appointment of relevant personnel is an internal matter of the United States, and China will not comment," adding, "China's policy towards the United States is consistent and clear."

Earlier, American media such as The New York Times (NYT) reported that Trump plans to appoint Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State and Representative Michael Waltz as National Security Advisor. Since both are known as prominent anti-China politicians in American politics, concerns are growing inside and outside China.

Previously, Senator Rubio was known as a leading anti-China lawmaker in Congress while serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He proactively introduced legislation to sanction Hong Kong officials over China's infringement on democracy and autonomy in Hong Kong, and conducted investigations to uncover the origins of COVID-19, which first spread widely in Wuhan, China, releasing reports on the matter.

Representative Waltz also served on the House China Task Force, introducing bills to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals and to protect American universities and academia from Chinese espionage activities.

The Chinese government, in 2020, imposed retaliatory sanctions on American political figures including Senator Rubio in response to U.S. sanctions against China over the human rights abuses against Uyghurs.