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Donald Trump has reportedly named Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his choice for the United States Secretary of State—possibly hinting towards strong anti-China policies to be implemented by the upcoming Trump Presidency.
Knewz.com has learned that among U.S. Senators, Rubio is one of the most vocal critics of the Beijing administration, the communist government in Havana, and "other leftists in Latin America."
It has been reported that Rubio has been a staunch supporter of Israel as well, showing an equally passionate "hardline" stance against Iran.
Rubio's rumored Secretary of State nomination came amidst his statements suggesting the U.S. should turn its military aid away from Ukraine and rather focus it on Taiwan in a bid to help the island democracy fight Chinese oppression.
The Florida Senator echoed Trump's statements when he said that Ukraine had reached a "stalemate" with Russia and that the U.S. should show "pragmatism" regarding the matter, as opposed to spending billions of dollars in providing military aid to the embattled nation.
During an interview on the Catholic news network EWTN, he clarified, "I don't like what Vladimir Putin did, and we do have an interest in what happens there."
"But I think the future of the 21st century is going to largely be defined by what happens in the Indo-Pacific," Rubio added.
In another statement, he said, "I'm not on Russia's side — but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement."
It is worth noting in this regard that a settlement between Russia and Ukraine facilitated by the Trump administration is likely to go in Russia's favor—if the terms of the potential settlement outlined by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is any indication.
The skeletal details of the settlement shared by Vance during the Presidential campaign reportedly echo the terms Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed in return for calling off the Ukraine invasion.
Vance explained at the time that Trump suggested the current frontline of the war be "frozen," and that Russia be allowed to retain the territory it has already annexed from Ukraine over the course of the conflict.
Furthermore, the settlement outlined by Vance also stipulated that Ukraine would not join NATO, although the embattled nation has been on the precipice of its ascension to the alliance.
Rubio was also one of the 15 Republican senators to vote against a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. partners, according to reports.
It has been reported that, as a Senator, Rubio has led the efforts to provide arms to Taiwan, while China maintained territorial claims over the independent island democracy and repeatedly warned the U.S. not to interfere.
Rubio has also called for the supply of American ammunition and military technology to Taiwan, rather than simply selling arms to the island nation.
Reports mentioned that Rubio has also made efforts to restrict Chinese business operations in the U.S. and has repeatedly criticized China for its treatment of Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uyghur minority community, a Turkish ethnic group, in the country.
It has been pointed out that if his nomination is confirmed and he is ultimately appointed, Rubio would become the first Latino to become Secretary of State.
Notably, Rubio, born to Cuban immigrants, sought to "overhaul the immigration system and offer a more humane, legal pathway to undocumented immigrants" during his first term as a Senator while Barack Obama was still President.
In a 2012 interview with TIME, Rubio stated that his mother had urged him not to "mess" with undocumented immigrants, saying that they are "human beings just like us."
On the other hand, Trump's second ascension to the White House has been marked with strong anti-immigrant rhetoric and promises of the greatest mass deportation in the history of America.
It has also been pointed out that Rubio had also aspired to be on the Republican Presidential ticket in 2016, but lost the position to Trump, who led the Republican campaign to victory in the year's Presidential race.
The 2016 Republican primary debates notably saw Rubio and Trump exchange "schoolyard insults"—with Rubio insinuating crude comments about the then-Republican candidate's body, and Trump mocking the Florida Senator by calling him "Little Marco."
It is worth noting that Trump has also raised eyebrows by nominating former National Guard officer and Fox News host Peter "Pete" Hegseth as the new Defense Secretary, a person who has been called the "least qualified nominee" for the position in American history.