said Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s Republican chairman.
“I believe you have the skills and are well qualified to serve as Secretary of State,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top foreign relations Democrat, said.
Rubio is one of Congress’ leading advocates for strong policies to compete with China. His support for Hong Kong democracy protesters earned him Chinese sanctions in 2020, meaning he could be the first secretary of state under active Chinese travel restrictions.
At the hearing, Rubio said Washington must step up its efforts to compete with Beijing and slammed its government on human rights.
“If we don’t change course, we are going to live in a world where much of what matters to us on a daily basis from our security to our health will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not,” Rubio said.
Some other Trump nominees have faced strong criticism, with even some Republicans saying they wanted more information about former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, tapped for secretary of defence, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence.
