China foreign minister tells Rubio: ‘Act accordingly’

New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio talked with his Chinese counterpart for the first time, an early sign of high-level diplomatic dialogue between Washington and Beijing.

Rubio told China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi that the US “does not support” Taiwan independence — a stance that could help ease tensions — while also stressing the new administration’s “America First” foreign policy, and expressing concern over Beijing’s behavior toward Taipei.

Wang, meanwhile, told Rubio to “act accordingly,” using a Chinese phrase that may be more “typically used by a teacher or a boss warning a student or employee to behave,” The Associated Press noted.

The vague language could convey an expectation, one researcher said — or deliver a veiled warning.