Countering the threat of China is an international priority that America cannot overlook. As Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen gear up for a visit to Beijing, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) urges them to hold China accountable not only for its aggression abroad but its human rights abuses within.
In his press release, Rubio reminds Blinken and Yellen of the various atrocities China has inflicted upon religious and ethnic minorities such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Christians, and practitioners of Falun Gong. The abuses inflicted upon the Uyghur people are particularly egregious, as Rubio describes crimes such as "use of forced labor, sexual violence, forced abortion, and forced sterilization of women," which, as noted, "constitute genocide and crimes against humanity."
Beyond its borders, China is no less devious. Rubio's letter tells of its manufacture of fentanyl that is smuggled into the United States, wrongful detainment of American citizens, and espionage such as stealing intellectual property and setting up "police station" intelligence gathering centers in the US and other countries. Moreover, China has also increased its aggression towards Taiwan as seen in recent months.
"We respectfully request that you use your visits to impress the aforementioned points upon your PRC counterparts, as well as convey that the United States will no longer tolerate such abuses against American citizens, American businesses, and American allies. If you fail to do so, we fear that these meetings will simply become a propaganda win for the CCP and bring no material benefit to the American people or our allies and partners," the letter concludes.
Rubio is not the only Florida Republican to call attention to the threat of China, as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) recently spoke of his efforts to combat Chinese purchase of Florida land. Similarly, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called for investigations into Chinese influence on the Federal Reserve back in August.
