Rubio vows 'moral clarity' abroad

Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American Republican running for president, on Wednesday vowed to restore a "moral clarity" to US foreign policy in a speech that outlined a tough stance on China, Russia and Iran.

Criticising President Barack Obama for his "disregard for our moral purpose", the Florida senator promised to use American power to oppose violations of international waters, including the "chaos caused by disruptions in chokepoints such as the South China Sea or the Strait of Hormuz".

In outlining an expansionist foreign policy that combined elements of Ronald Reagan and George W Bush, Mr Rubio said he would focus on three pillars: promoting American strength, protecting the US economy in a globalised world, and "moral clarity regarding America's core values".

"Russia, China, Iran, or any other nation that attempts to block global commerce, will know to expect a response from my administration," Mr Rubio said. "Gone will be the days of debating where a ship is flagged or whether it is our place to criticise territorial expansionism. In this century, businesses must have the freedom to operate around the world with confidence."

China has in recent years become more assertive in staking claims in the South China Sea, as it tries to take control of waters inside what Beijing calls the "nine-dash line".

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Rubio, 43, who sits on the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees, said the US should restore its willingness to "state boldly what we stand for and why it is right".

"Just as Reagan never flinched in his criticisms of the Soviet Union's political and economic repressions, we must never shy away from demanding that China allow true freedom for its 1.3bn people," he said.

He praised the bipartisan leadership of two Democratic presidents - Harry Truman and John F Kennedy - in addition to Reagan for promoting a strong US around the world. While he did not mention Mr Bush in his speech, his responses to questions suggested that he would adopt strands of Mr Bush's foreign policy, particularly on terrorism.

"These groups can only prosper if they have a safe haven . . . we cannot allow safe havens to emerge anywhere in the world," said Mr Rubio. "So, denying them (radical Islamic groups) a safe haven is the key part of it, and taking decisive action."

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Asked if his stance on human rights would have any bearing on dealing with the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, he said it performed a crucial function. "Terrorists who plot to kill Americans . . . deserve to be imprisoned and taken off the battlefield and that is the role that Guantanamo plays," Mr Rubio said, before adding that the facility "should continue to play" that role.

On the Iraq war - which was launched when he was a state politician - Mr Rubio said that had he been president, he would not have invaded the nation had he known there were no weapons of mass destruction. "Not only would I not have been in favour of it, President Bush would not have been in favour of it."

In recent days, Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who is poised to run for president, has sparked controversy for saying he would have invaded Iraq even with the knowledge that it did not have WMD. He has since sought to clarify that position, saying that he would have taken the same decision as his brother only if he had been presented with the same flawed intelligence.

At the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Rubio displayed a fluent command of numerous international issues that contrasted dramatically with Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor who is one of the top contenders for the Republican presidential nomination even though he has yet to launch his campaign.

Mr Walker was parodied in February after he refused to discuss international affairs at Chatham House, a top UK foreign policy think-tank, on the basis that it would not be "polite" as his trip to London was focused on trade.

Mr Rubio is one of six Republicans who have entered the White House race with many more potential contenders mulling their chances. He also criticised Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, as having been "dangerously negligent" during her tenure as Mr Obama's secretary of state.

Mr Rubio said he was encouraged by reports that the Pentagon was considering using navy ships to more aggressively challenge the Chinese claims, which have sparked rising tensions with countries including the Philippines and Vietnam. China has responded to the reports by voicing "serious concern".

Mr Rubio said: "We should never accept it as a truth that they control that . . . I would in fact take all sorts of naval actions, not military action per se, but military naval vessels transiting through that zone to clearly show that this is international waters."

The senator added that it was critical for the US to "create a stronger alliance to fully pivot to the Asia-Pacific region", saying it should expand its military alliances beyond Japan and South Korea.

Twitter: @DimiSevastopulo

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