US Secretary of State Rubio: America Needs Europe to Counter China

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized during a speech and discussion on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that Washington requires close cooperation with Europe to confront China, describing the transatlantic alliance as a strategic necessity.

Rubio stated on Thursday in Munich that Cold War experience showed alliances based on shared values can succeed in tough conditions. He added that just as the U.S. and Europe cooperated against the Soviet Union, transatlantic cooperation is vital today amid growing competition with China. In response to a question on whether Washington needs Europe to win the competition with China, Rubio explicitly said: "Yes."

He highlighted historical and cultural ties across the Atlantic, noting: "For us Americans, home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be Europe's children." Rubio stressed that America and Europe are "heirs to a great and authentic civilization" with intertwined destinies, deeply influenced by Western civilization in language, government, laws, and culture.

The U.S. secretary of state called for "burden sharing" among allies, basing the partnership on shared capabilities and readiness to defend values. He clarified that Washington's criticisms of some European domestic decisions stem from concern for their shared fate, saying: "We want Europe to survive and thrive because our fate is intertwined with what happens to Europe."

Rubio noted the West reached a deadlock against the Soviet Union but transatlantic unity changed the outcome. He warned that post-Cold War euphoria led to "terrible decisions" causing deindustrialization and dependence on foreign vital resources, including China, which must be reversed for security and economic resilience. He advocated for a Western supply chain resistant to "extortion or blackmail," cautioning against any country being vulnerable to one holding "99 percent" of a critical good.

On Western leaders' visits to Beijing, including Mark Carney, Keir Starmer, and Friedrich Merz, Rubio said state-to-state engagement is natural and the U.S. is not concerned, noting his own meeting with China's foreign minister at Munich. He stressed major powers must dialogue to avoid irresponsible behavior and unnecessary conflicts, though differences persist. Addressing concerns of U.S. distancing from Europe, Rubio affirmed U.S. forces remain in Europe under NATO, with ongoing intelligence, economic, and trade cooperation, but the alliance must adapt to 21st-century realities based on shared civilizational values.