Rubio Defends Trump's Xi State Visit, Says US and China 'Obligated' to Engage

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday defended President Donald Trump's state visit for Chinese President Xi Jinping, arguing that Washington and Beijing are obliged to engage at the highest levels even as they remain at odds on trade, supply chains and critical minerals.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Rubio rejected criticism from within his own party over the scale of the welcome extended to Xi, hours before Trump was due to greet the Chinese leader on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in a rare ceremony.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, had said a day earlier that Trump should not have invited Xi, citing what he called troubling issues with the Chinese leader and the Communist Party. Wicker also described Xi as a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator.

Rubio, a former senator himself, said he understood and respected the role Congress plays, but insisted the relationship between the United States and China would define the 21st century. He noted that the two countries are the world's largest economies and probably its two most powerful militaries, and said refusing to interact at the highest levels would be irresponsible and outrageous.

He drew a parallel with the Cold War, recalling that Washington maintained communications and frequent meetings with Soviet officials even at the height of the threat of nuclear annihilation, which he said helped prevent a real war. Disagreement, he added, does not preclude dialogue.

Rubio described the visit as the back end of a reciprocal arrangement, noting that the United States had travelled to China earlier this year and that the Chinese side would now visit Washington. He said the two leaders could interact again later this year, potentially at the APEC summit in China and the G20 in Florida.

Asked whether the administration remains committed to arms sales to Taiwan, Rubio said any such transfers must be weighed against American military requirements worldwide. He pointed to a large arms sale to Taiwan completed in December, but said that if the United States sells equipment, it no longer has it on hand, even if it can be manufactured later.

He said foreign military sales to any country must be balanced against the minimum needs identified by US combatant commanders for potential conflicts in their regions, describing a constant process of weighing current stockpiles against long-term planning. Rubio also rejected the suggestion that munitions are not a constraint, saying US obligations span the Indo-Pacific, Southern Command and NATO, and that military planning looks a decade ahead rather than three months.

The Trump administration has paused arms sales to Taiwan, apparently after the president visited Beijing in May. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has urged Washington to handle the issue with prudence.