Washington –
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, over Taiwan on Friday, with Donald Trump’s top diplomat denouncing Beijing’s “coercive” moves.
Rubio, a longtime China hawk, spoke with Wang for the first time by telephone at the end of his first week in office, which he began by forming a united front with U.S. partners in the region.
In the telephone call, Rubio told Wang that the second Trump administration will pursue a relationship with China “that advances U.S. interests and puts the American people first,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.