US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the United States considers it madness to break off relations with China, given its economic and military potential.
"It is the second largest economy in the world, it has nuclear weapons. It would be crazy, unbelievable, for the United States and China not to maintain relations and cooperate with each other," he said during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Rubio emphasized that Washington does not demand that other countries isolate themselves from Beijing and intends to resolve existing differences with China based on national interests. He said that over-reliance on one economy, especially in critical supply chains, is "not a good idea" and therefore the US advocates diversification.
The Secretary of State also noted that both sides have previously reached an understanding with Beijing on a number of trade issues.
