China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that senior Chinese and US officials should maintain contact, when asked by reporters if Beijing would drop its sanctions on the newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
China will firmly maintain its national interests, but at same time, it is necessary for senior officials of China and the United States to maintain contact in an appropriate manner, said Guo Jiakun, spokesperson at the foreign ministry, at a regular news conference.
Rubio was among a handful of US officials sanctioned by China in 2020 over Hong Kong and Xinjiang issues.