Rubio Boards Flight to China Almost Matching Maduro's Outfit, Raising Questions Among Chinese Netizens
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for his anti-communist stance, accompanied President Trump on a visit to China. His choice of attire, strikingly similar to what former Venezuelan President Maduro wore when arrested, drew strong negative reactions from some Chinese netizens, who deemed it "provocative" and "full of hostility."
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(Taipei, May 13, Central News Agency) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for his strong anti-communist stance and having been sanctioned twice by China, accompanied US President Donald Trump on a visit to China. His attire on the plane, strikingly similar to the gray sportswear worn by former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro when he was arrested, sparked backlash among some Chinese netizens who called it "provocative" and "full of hostility," with some advocating for "finding a way to push back."
According to information released by the White House, US officials accompanying Trump (Donald Trump) on Air Force One to China included Rubio (Marco Rubio), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, among others.
According to US media reports, a photo posted earlier by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on the social media platform X showed Rubio wearing a Nike Tech gray tracksuit, which was a stark contrast to the formal attire typically seen when senior US officials travel abroad.
After Rubio's photo was published, many immediately associated the outfit with that worn by Maduro (Nicolas Maduro) when he was arrested by US forces, which was also a Nike Tech gray tracksuit, immediately sparking numerous discussions on X.
Rubio's outfit, so similar to Maduro's when he was arrested, quickly spread across Chinese online platforms and triggered heated discussions, mostly consisting of abusive and mocking comments.
Some commented, "Posting this photo clearly tells China, 'I'm here, what are you going to do about it?'"; others asked, "Can we just not let him (Rubio) get off the plane?"; still others said, "If he likes Maduro so much, then when he (Rubio) arrives, why doesn't China follow suit (referring to handcuffing and taking him away)?"; and some stated, "He came here to provoke, what a joke."
Some well-known pro-official Chinese online writers claimed that Rubio "specifically wore the same outfit as Maduro when he was kidnapped by US forces to board Air Force One, full of hostility," and that the US official "likes to play these meaningless little tricks, which indicates that he doesn't dare to use other meaningful big moves now."
In addition, the Weibo account of the pro-Beijing Hong Kong media outlet Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po posted Rubio's photo with an "vomit" emoji.
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, has long focused on China's human rights issues and is considered a representative figure in US politics against the Chinese Communist Party. In July and August 2020, Rubio was sanctioned twice by China over issues in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and was criticized by name by Chinese official media. (Edited by Chiu Kuo-chiang / Yang Sheng-ru) 1150513
According to information released by the White House, US officials accompanying Trump (Donald Trump) on Air Force One to China included Rubio (Marco Rubio), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, among others.
According to US media reports, a photo posted earlier by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on the social media platform X showed Rubio wearing a Nike Tech gray tracksuit, which was a stark contrast to the formal attire typically seen when senior US officials travel abroad.
After Rubio's photo was published, many immediately associated the outfit with that worn by Maduro (Nicolas Maduro) when he was arrested by US forces, which was also a Nike Tech gray tracksuit, immediately sparking numerous discussions on X.
Rubio's outfit, so similar to Maduro's when he was arrested, quickly spread across Chinese online platforms and triggered heated discussions, mostly consisting of abusive and mocking comments.
Some commented, "Posting this photo clearly tells China, 'I'm here, what are you going to do about it?'"; others asked, "Can we just not let him (Rubio) get off the plane?"; still others said, "If he likes Maduro so much, then when he (Rubio) arrives, why doesn't China follow suit (referring to handcuffing and taking him away)?"; and some stated, "He came here to provoke, what a joke."
Some well-known pro-official Chinese online writers claimed that Rubio "specifically wore the same outfit as Maduro when he was kidnapped by US forces to board Air Force One, full of hostility," and that the US official "likes to play these meaningless little tricks, which indicates that he doesn't dare to use other meaningful big moves now."
In addition, the Weibo account of the pro-Beijing Hong Kong media outlet Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po posted Rubio's photo with an "vomit" emoji.
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, has long focused on China's human rights issues and is considered a representative figure in US politics against the Chinese Communist Party. In July and August 2020, Rubio was sanctioned twice by China over issues in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and was criticized by name by Chinese official media. (Edited by Chiu Kuo-chiang / Yang Sheng-ru) 1150513