Sanctioned Rubio to take part in Trump’s China trip despite previous missed opportunities

The formerly hawkish US secretary of state has been sanctioned by Beijing and sources say he has previously appeared reluctant to visit

According to sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, Rubio had been invited to visit but had not been receptive until recently.

Rubio’s attendance could smooth over some of the problems surrounding Trump’s visit to China. Frustration has been mounting in Beijing because of the lack of preparation for the trip.

The penalties were imposed in 2020 when he was still a senator – once in retaliation for US sanctions on Chinese officials over their alleged mistreatment of the Uygur ethnic minority group, and the second time in response to another round targeting mainland and Hong Kong officials in the wake of the 2019 protests.

China has yet to clarify whether the sanctions would be waived, but when asked about the matter in January last year, the foreign ministry said it was necessary to maintain high-level communication between Chinese and American officials.