US secretary of state Marco Rubio may travel to China with president Donald Trump during a planned visit to Beijing, despite being sanctioned by the Chinese government, a Hong Kong newspaper reported today.
The South China Morning Post, citing sources familiar with the preparations speaking on condition of anonymity, says Rubio had previously been invited to visit China but had not been receptive until recently. His potential presence could help resolve some of the difficulties that have arisen in preparing Trump’s visit, as Beijing has expressed some frustration over the lack of progress in organising the trip, the same sources say.
The sanctions against Rubio were imposed by Beijing in 2020, when the Cuban-American politician was still a senator, in response to US measures against Chinese officials over the treatment of the Uyghur minority in the western region of Xinjiang and sanctions related to the situation in Hong Kong following the 2019 anti-government protests. Beijing has not clarified whether the measures would be suspended in the case of an official visit, as this type of sanction typically involves entry restrictions for the targeted officials and their family members, raising questions about whether Rubio could travel to Chinese territory.
The report comes shortly before a new round of trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing, announced by the US Treasury Department for Sunday and Monday in Paris. According to the newspaper, Chinese vice-premier He Lifeng and US treasury secretary Scott Bessent are expected to discuss possible agreements ahead of a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The newspaper adds that Rubio was initially reluctant to participate in the trip, partly because the agenda will focus on trade issues — a domain in which Bessent has taken the lead in negotiations with Beijing. Chinese authorities have not yet confirmed the planned meetings in the French capital.
The two countries have maintained a trade truce in place since October, reached following earlier talks in Malaysia and a subsequent meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea. The bilateral context remains marked by trade and technology tensions and uncertainty following the recent US Supreme Court ruling that partially struck down tariffs imposed by the Trump administration last year.
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The White House has announced that Trump’s visit is expected to take place between March 31 and April 2, though Beijing has yet to confirm it. If it goes ahead, it would be the first visit by a sitting US president to the Asian country since Trump’s own visit in 2017 during his first term.
