Rubio Sanctioned Yet Accompanies Trump to China; Beijing Had Previously Explained
US Secretary of State Rubio accompanied President Trump to China despite being previously sanctioned and banned from entry by China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had explained that the sanctions were against Rubio's actions as a senator, signaling a de facto lifting of the ban and indicating a complex but evolving US-China relationship.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 11:52
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 12:02 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 13:19 (1h 17m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, May 14) US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing last night for a three-day state visit, accompanied by Secretary of State Rubio, who was once banned from entering China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had previously stated that the sanctions were aimed at Rubio's words and deeds concerning China during his tenure as a senator, thereby easing the entry ban.
Trump arrived in Beijing last night with his delegation, and is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning. There has been discussion regarding Marco Rubio's presence in the delegation despite being sanctioned by China.
According to the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, media had previously asked at a regular press conference on March 16 whether Rubio's sanction since 2020 would affect his accompanying Trump to China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded at the time, stating, "China's sanction measures target Mr. Rubio's words and deeds concerning China during his tenure as a federal senator."
Analysts say that the Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement at the time indirectly confirmed that Rubio had been "unbanned."
During his time as a US Senator, Rubio had harshly criticized China over Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues, leading Beijing to place him on a sanctions list and ban him from entry. After he became US Secretary of State early last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi advised Rubio to "conduct himself well" during their first phone call.
According to a report by Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily at the time, as US-China relations warmed following the summit between the two leaders in Busan last October, Rubio also continued to show a friendly attitude towards China. At last year's US State Department year-end press conference, he even claimed, "I have always been quite friendly to China..." and said, "China was, is, and will be a rich and powerful nation, an important force in geopolitics. We must maintain relations with China." (Editors: Chou Hui-ying / Lu Jia-rong) 1150514
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, May 14) US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing last night for a three-day state visit, accompanied by Secretary of State Rubio, who was once banned from entering China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had previously stated that the sanctions were aimed at Rubio's words and deeds concerning China during his tenure as a senator, thereby easing the entry ban.
Trump arrived in Beijing last night with his delegation, and is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning. There has been discussion regarding Marco Rubio's presence in the delegation despite being sanctioned by China.
According to the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, media had previously asked at a regular press conference on March 16 whether Rubio's sanction since 2020 would affect his accompanying Trump to China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded at the time, stating, "China's sanction measures target Mr. Rubio's words and deeds concerning China during his tenure as a federal senator."
Analysts say that the Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement at the time indirectly confirmed that Rubio had been "unbanned."
During his time as a US Senator, Rubio had harshly criticized China over Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues, leading Beijing to place him on a sanctions list and ban him from entry. After he became US Secretary of State early last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi advised Rubio to "conduct himself well" during their first phone call.
According to a report by Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily at the time, as US-China relations warmed following the summit between the two leaders in Busan last October, Rubio also continued to show a friendly attitude towards China. At last year's US State Department year-end press conference, he even claimed, "I have always been quite friendly to China..." and said, "China was, is, and will be a rich and powerful nation, an important force in geopolitics. We must maintain relations with China." (Editors: Chou Hui-ying / Lu Jia-rong) 1150514
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship you make is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to get the latest news in real-time.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast publicly, transmitted publicly, or utilized without authorization.