Secretary of State Marco Rubio Discusses China Policy, Iran and Cuba in Beijing Interview

NBC News correspondent Tom Llamas conducted an extended interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Trump-Xi Summit held in Beijing. The conversation addressed U.S. policy toward China along with the ongoing war with Iran and the future of Cuba.

Rubio also responded to questions on additional foreign policy matters. The interview took place on May 15, 2026, as part of coverage surrounding the summit between the United States and China. Llamas posed questions drawn from current diplomatic developments involving multiple regions.

The full discussion ran 22 minutes and 1 second.

News segments aired alongside the interview covered a range of domestic and international stories. These included a mass casualty explosion at a Maine lumber mill, Chinese young adults sharing views on America, and U.S. efforts to indict Cuba’s Raul Castro.

Additional reports addressed an Iran-linked suspect accused of terror plots targeting Jewish sites in the U.S. and driverless Waymo taxis disrupting an Atlanta neighborhood. The broadcast also featured segments on Chinese pandas preparing for travel to America and the country’s work on humanoid robotics.

The summit in Beijing has drawn attention to high-level diplomatic exchanges between the two nations. Coverage included footage of the U.S. delegation’s arrival and local Beijing scenes. The interview with Rubio forms one element of the network’s reporting from the event.