China and US must talk – we owe it to the world, Rubio tells Munich Security Conference

“Our destiny will be intertwined with yours”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European allies at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, sending a strong message of US commitment to transatlantic ties.

Europe was the US’ “oldest friend” and the US’ “cherished ally”, Rubio said, adding “we want Europe to be strong”.

“We believe that Europe must survive. Because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that ultimately our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours,” he said.

Rubio is the highest-ranking US speaker at the annual security conference this year, breaking years of tradition in which Washington sent its vice-president.

Asked about next month’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Rubio said the world’s two biggest economies had an obligation to talk.

“Because we’re two large countries with huge global interests, our national interests will often not align,” he said.