Rubio skipping NATO meeting signals growing rift in Transatlantic relations: analyst

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's absence from a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting which comes during a critical time amid talks to end the Ukraine crisis can be interpreted as a sign of the widening rift in transatlantic relations, according to a Brussels-based analyst.

The Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs was held in Brussels on Wednesday, with the primary topic being a U.S.-proposed peace plan aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The 28-point proposal drawn up by the Trump administration in recent weeks has been met with criticism in Ukraine and across Europe, with many saying the plan ceded too much to Russia's demands.

European NATO members expressed concerns that they have been largely marginalized in the ongoing negotiations and have asked to have a say in future peace agreements. They want to ensure NATO's role in negotiations and are pushing for preliminary discussions on a series of so-called "red lines", including Ukraine's potential NATO membership and the deployment of troops and weapons on NATO territory.

Rubio's no-show at this potentially pivotal moment in discussions over Ukraine has raised eyebrows, with the last time a U.S. Secretary of State missed a NATO foreign ministers' meeting being way back in 1999.

Typically, NATO holds two formal foreign ministers' meetings each year, serving as a crucial platform for member states to coordinate strategies and unify their positions. This meeting marked the first systematic discussion among NATO members regarding the framework of the peace plan for Ukraine.

Some European NATO members had previously complained in private about the lack of consultation from the U.S. regarding the Ukraine peace process.

Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the European Policy Center, a Brussels-based think tank, said Rubio's choice not to attend the meeting is a further sign of strained ties between the U.S. and Europe.

"I think it's a change in the relationship. It was very easy for Europeans to rely on the United States when it came to security, in part when it came to economic development. So there's a change there, definitely. And I think in the end, Europeans will have to decide what to do about European security in any case, whether the U.S. are there or not," he said.

Adding to Europe's concerns, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who represented the U.S. at the meeting, had previously questioned NATO's value in a hastily-deleted social media post back in this June. Although he did withdraw his comments, they did little to quell European anxieties regarding a profound shift in U.S. diplomatic direction.

Zuleeg said that the signals made by the Trump administration indicate that Europe may have to go alone.

"The U.S. president has talked about more of a distance and more of a focus of the U.S. on other parts of the world. Europe will have to do more things on its own," he said.

Rubio skipping NATO meeting signals growing rift in Transatlantic relations: analyst

Rubio skipping NATO meeting signals growing rift in Transatlantic relations: analyst

Rubio skipping NATO meeting signals growing rift in Transatlantic relations: analyst

Officials and business leaders from both China and the United States gathered in Berkeley, California on Friday to discuss the future of trade and investment between China and the San Francisco Bay Area, with many hoping to overcome the recent strain brought by the Trump administration's tariffs.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade hosted a business breakfast exchange meeting on Friday morning, with the council's chairman Ren Hongbin sending out a clear message of the vast economic potential which is there to be tapped into.

"The Chinese economy is very much innovation driven. And the strategic emerging industries, such as new energy, new materials, low carbon, aerospace, bio-pharmacy and the low-altitude economy, will generate a trillion-yuan level or even larger markets. So, I think that will provide enormous opportunities and room for China and U.S. companies to cooperate," said Ren.

He further stressed the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing as an example of an event where San Francisco Bay Area companies like NVIDIA and Apple were active participants and direct beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin said that against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown, greater cooperation in the innovation sector is now more important than ever.

"The [San Francisco] Bay Area is home to many of the world's top tech companies and offers a sound innovation ecosystem. China has a super big market, rich application scenarios and a complete industrial supporting system. There exists tremendous potential for both sides to have more mutually beneficial cooperation by tapping into their complementary strengths," said Zhang.

Attendees did voice concerns over how the Trump administration's tariffs are impacting business.

With China accounting for nearly 30 percent of the Port of Oakland's total trade volume, the port's executive director Kristi McKenney stressed the need for greater stability and certainty.

"The tariffs in many cases were never actually implemented or were changed before they were implemented. So those linkages are a bit more challenging. I think the bigger issue will be certainty in the economy. And if there's lack of certainty, if we see economic difficulty, then you're going to see job losses," said McKenney.

Oakland's Mayor Barbara Lee said that it is very much business as usual, despite the recent difficulties.

"While we understand the challenges of tariffs, the exports and imports are still continuing, and our port is still a large containerized port doing business with China. And we're going to strengthen that relationship. We may have our differences on issues, on policies, but we here in Oakland understand that we're a global city and we believe the trade brings friendships, brings understanding, and also brings economic benefits to both countries," she said.

Chinese, US officials, business leaders meet in California to deepen mutual understanding