China reportedly changed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s name for his visit to the country. He is part of the team that traveled with President Donald Trump to China. Apart from Rubio, the officials accompanying Trump on the trip include his son Eric, daughter-in-law Lara, and CEOs of companies such as Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm, and more.
Marco Rubio’s reported name change ahead of China visit explained
The US Secretary of State’s name has reportedly been changed so he can enter China with Donald Trump’s convoy.
According to The Hill, the alteration was made to bypass a sanction that banned Marco Rubio from entering China. A report by Agence France-Presse stated that the Chinese authorities have changed the first syllable of his surname. In the Chinese language, it translates to “lu.”
In 2020, Rubio alleged that China is mistreating the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region. A US Senator at the time, he stated that it was a human rights violation. Consequently, the country imposed a ban, prohibiting him from entering.
However, the White House has not made any statements regarding the matter yet. Speaking of this, Liu Pengyu of the Chinese embassy said, “The sanctions target Mr. Rubio’s words and deeds when he served as a US Senator concerning China.”
Previously, a representative from the Chinese foreign ministry, Lin Jian, was also asked if Rubio’s sanctions might affect his travel to China. However, according to Reuters, he denied the same. Jian said, “Head of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-U.S. relations.”
Notably, sanctions on Marco Rubio and 11 other citizens of the United States were applied in 2020. At the time, a person from the Chinese foreign ministry said, “In response to those wrong US behaviors, China has decided to impose sanctions on individuals who have behaved egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues.” (via BBC)
Originally reported by Ishita Verma on Mandatory.
