(Jan 25): Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern about Beijing’s coercive behaviour against Taiwan and aggression in the South China Sea in his first formal call with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, while the Chinese minister said he hoped the newly confirmed US official would make the right decision.

Rubio emphasised to Wang that the new US administration would pursue a relationship with China that “advances US interests and puts the American people first”, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Friday.

“The secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea,” she said.

Wang told Rubio that the two sides should implement the “important consensus” reached between the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, according to a Chinese government statement. Wang reiterated that Beijing would never allow Taiwan to be separated from the mainland, and warned the US to handle related matters carefully.

“A major country should act like one. It should shoulder its due international responsibilities, safeguard world peace, and help countries achieve common development,” Wang said, according to the statement. “I hope you will conduct yourself properly and play a constructive role in the future of the Chinese and American people, as well as in world peace and stability.”

A video carried on the website of China Central Television on Saturday provided various translations for the phrase “hao zi wei zhi” in Wang’s comments to Rubio, including “behave yourself,” “make the right choice” and “be very prudent” about what one says and does.

Trump won the US election in November after promising to impose massive tariffs on China and pledging to bring back American manufacturing jobs.

After his inauguration, the US president provided Beijing with some unexpected breathing space, holding off on committing to a plan for tariffs on China. He also threw China-owned ByteDance Ltd a lifeline, giving it 75 days to find a US partner for TikTok in the US, a deal that would avoid a ban of the social media app in America.

Rubio used his confirmation hearing earlier this month to accuse Beijing of hacking and stealing its way to superpower status. The secretary of state was the first of Trump’s cabinet picks to be approved by the Senate on Monday.

China sanctioned him twice in 2020 over his criticism of Beijing’s handling of Hong Kong and Xinjiang as well as his push for laws to punish the Chinese government. The latest Chinese statement made no mention of the sanctions.

China has no intention to surpass or replace anyone but has to defend its legitimate rights, Wang told Rubio, according to the statement.

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