The nominee for Secretary of State calls for an international policy based on core U.S. interest.

Marco Rubio, the nominee of Donald Trump for Secretary of State, said at a confirmation hearing on Wednesday that China is the greatest threat to the U.S., and it must be addressed with new domestic and foreign policies.

The former Florida senator faced little opposition during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing and is considered to be one of Trump’s top nominees. He said that the new administration will pursue a foreign strategy centered around advancing American core interest, which reflects Mr. Trump’s agenda of “America First”.

In his opening remarks, Rubio stated that the U.S. has used core national interests as a guide to its foreign policy for the past two centuries. “Placing the interests of America and Americans before all else is more important than ever for our country.”

Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants to Florida who arrived in 1956, said that his Christian faith will influence his work as a State Department official.

Rubio was particularly critical of China, saying that the communist regime had been wrongly welcomed to the global order.

In his opening remarks, he said: “And they took full advantage of its benefits.” But they ignored its obligations and responsibilities. They have instead lied, cheated and hacked their way to superpower status – at our expense.

The Democrats’ hostile response to Mr. Hegseth during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination as Defense Secretary was a stark contrast to the warm reception given by Mr. Rubio.

James E. Risch (Republican, Idaho) is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He said that Mr. Rubio was a good friend. The Idaho Republican then listed a long list of crises that Mr. Rubio will likely face as secretary of State. Mr. Risch claimed that the Biden administration’s diversity policies, which are based on a “progressive ideologies”, hampered morale at the State Department.

Risch stated that “the outgoing administration has often undermined effective foreign policy by imposing ideological and political requirements in the fabric of personnel decision-making and policy execution rather than hiring or promoting based on merit and efficiency.” This must stop on the first day. Marco will return the ship to merit.

Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire’s senator and the ranking Democrat on the committee, has said that she worked well with Rubio while in the Senate, and that she supports his nomination.

“I think you are qualified and have the skills to be Secretary of State,” said Ms. Shaheen.

China’s extraordinary challenge

Rubio said that China is a “very extraordinary” issue and the Chinese Communist Party believes the United States is on the decline due to Beijing’s rise.

He said that Beijing controls global supply chains and lies about militarizing the islands in the South China Sea. It also engages in “grotesque human rights violations” and the enslavement and exploitation of Uyghurs, a minority group in western China.

“So, if we do not change our course, we will live in a society where many of the things that matter to us every day, from our health to our security, will depend on whether or not the Chinese let us have them,” Rubio said. “That is an unacceptable outcome.”

In response to questions from legislators, Mr. Rubio called China “the most dangerous and potent near-peer enemy this nation has ever faced.”

He said that to counter the threat, it is important for us to increase our efforts at home. This includes rebuilding industries and ending our over-reliance on China as a source of raw materials and goods.

Rubio stated that he supported the continued U.S. support for Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and six U.S. China understandings. He supports adding Taiwanese to international organizations and meetings, something China does not support. China’s plans to annex Taiwan by force in the next few years is a “foundational belief” for Chinese President Xi Jinping. It also highlights the dangers of a conflict, which Mr. Rubio described as “catastrophic.”

He called for a strong policy to dissuade Beijing. “The bottom-line is that we will have to deal China. Rubio stated that China will have to deal us.

Rubio supports Trump’s view that the war between Russia and Ukraine should end quickly. He said that sanctions imposed against Russia in response to the war could continue and even expand.

He said that the Biden administration’s policy towards Europe’s worst conflict since World War II had a problem in that its end goal was not always clear.

Rubio stated, “This is a very important conflict and I believe that the United States should take the position that this war must be ended.”

Trump stated during his presidential campaign that he intended to end the Ukraine Conflict before his inauguration. He has expressed his skepticism regarding the massive U.S. aid and military packages that were sent to Kyiv by Mr. Rubio while he was in the Senate.

While Mr. Rubio was testifying, the news broke that Israel had reached a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Rubio stated that he supported the announced agreement, but added that its success or failure would depend on the release scores of hostages held by Hamas after the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel.

When asked about the rise in antisemitism in the United States Mr. Rubio responded that “common sense” policies would prevent antisemitic Hamas followers from entering the U.S. and expelling those who are already there.

The nominee was asked if Mr. Trump opposed NATO membership. He noted that he had co-sponsored legislation requiring Senate approval before any U.S. withdraw from the alliance. Mr. Rubio stated that Mr. Trump had announced that former Justice Department Official Matthew Whitaker will be the U.S. Ambassador to NATO – a sign of Mr. Trump’s engagement in the alliance.

In Venezuela, Rubio claimed that the Biden Administration “got played” last year by socialist President Nicolas Maduro when it eased sanctions to promote fair and free elections. He said that the Maduro regime had violated the agreement.

He said that Russians and Iranians were operating in Venezuela, and posed a threat to America.

When asked by Delaware Democrat Sen. Christopher A. Coons about possible conflicts of interest between Mr. Trump, his family and those who are building hotels in Saudi Arabia or Oman, the nominee stated that he was unfamiliar with these deals and pointed out that the President-elect has no role in any Trump family businesses.

“My understanding is that… the President doesn’t run that company,” he