Marco Rubio says US and China must engage at senior levels: "the two largest economies in the world"

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, starting Wednesday with a rare tarmac greeting from President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, drew Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s defense of high-level U.S.-China contacts. Speaking to reporters Wednesday in New York, Rubio said the two nations must engage at senior levels, pointing to their dominant economic and military power, and called refusing such interaction wrong. The three-day visit includes a White House arrival ceremony, a state dinner, and meetings amid tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and Taiwan. Senator Roger Wicker criticized the elaborate reception and said Trump should not have invited Xi, citing concerns including China’s military expansion, backing for Iran, and Xi’s rule. The visit reciprocates Trump’s earlier ceremonial display in China, though substantial progress is not expected.