ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said China remains the United States’ top geopolitical challenge as President Donald Trump and senior U.S. officials headed to Beijing for high-level talks.
In a May 14, 2026, interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel aboard Air Force One, Rubio described China as both America’s biggest geopolitical challenge and one of the most important relationships for Washington to manage. He said the two countries will continue to have conflicting interests, but also said diplomacy is needed to avoid war and maintain global stability.
Rubio said the trip is important because it allows American and Chinese officials to speak directly with one another instead of only exchanging public statements or phone calls. He said leader-to-leader contact, along with meetings between Cabinet-level officials, can create communication channels that may be useful during future moments of tension.
Rubio said several major issues are expected to come up during the trip, including trade, tariffs, intellectual property theft, Taiwan, supply chains and China’s relationship with Iran.
On Taiwan, Rubio said the United States does not want to see any forced change to the current situation, saying stability in the region is important to China, the United States and the world.
Rubio also said Washington has warned Beijing that support for Iran would harm U.S.-China relations. He said the United States hopes China will play a more active role in pressuring Iran to back away from efforts to control shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio said China has its own reasons to oppose instability in the strait, including dependence on energy shipments and the importance of global trade to China’s export-driven economy. He said disruption in the region could reduce global demand for Chinese goods.
Trade and industrial policy were also a major focus of Rubio’s comments. He said the United States cannot depend entirely on China, or any other country, for critical goods. He said the Trump administration is focused on rebuilding U.S. factories, restoring industrial capacity and diversifying access to rare earths, critical minerals and other supply chains.
Rubio also accused China of benefiting from intellectual property theft and reverse engineering of American technology. He said the United States must continue raising the issue with Beijing while also investing in innovation to keep American companies ahead of competitors.
The interview also covered Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Ukraine, the Vatican and NATO.
Rubio defended recent U.S. actions against Iran, saying the Trump administration believes Iran was building up missile and drone capabilities that could have made it much harder to stop its nuclear program later. He said the president viewed that as an unacceptable risk.
On Ukraine, Rubio said the United States remains willing to help mediate an end to the war, but said momentum toward a settlement has slowed in recent months. He said both Ukraine and Russia have reasons to believe their positions have improved, but said the war remains destructive for both sides.
Rubio also discussed his recent meeting with Pope Leo, calling it positive. He said the two discussed religious freedom, Africa, Latin America, Cuba and humanitarian aid. Rubio said the United States has worked with the Catholic Church to distribute humanitarian aid in Cuba and has offered to provide more aid through church channels.
On Venezuela, Rubio said the administration has made progress in trying to redirect the country’s oil wealth toward public salaries and services, but he said Venezuela still needs a legitimate long-term political transition.
Rubio was sharply critical of Cuba’s government, saying the country’s economy remains broken and controlled by a small group tied to the military. He said Cuba has resources and potential but cannot prosper under its current leadership.
Rubio also questioned the role of some NATO members, saying the alliance has been valuable to the United States because of access to European bases. However, he criticized countries that denied U.S. use of bases during recent Middle East operations, while praising countries including Portugal, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria for helping the United States.
Source: U.S. State Department interview transcript.