Beijing, China - Marco Rubio was sanctioned by Beijing twice in 2020 for moves made by the US against alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang. Now that he's secretary of state, can he visit China?

Speculation is circling as to whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio may face difficulties working with China due to his history of criticizing Beijing.

After the US sanctioned a Chinese government department and a number of Xinjiang officials on charges of human rights violations against the Uyghur minority group, Beijing issued two rounds of sanctions against Rubio.

The sanctions stand to this day and include a travel ban, making it difficult for Rubio to undertake his diplomatic responsibilities in the second Trump administration.

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This is especially significant as tensions with Beijing are high, and China is the third-largest trading partner with the US.

During a press conference last week, Rubio's name was changed in the transcript. The phonetically-spelled "Lu" was swapped with a character that sounds the same but with a different tone.

Users on social media platform Weibo went into a frenzy, suggesting that the foreign ministry was trying to open up possibilities for a break in sanctions.

One user commented, "Rubio isn't coming. Rubio is coming."

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Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to questions about the name change by denying there was any significance.

"If you ask me, instead of how his name is translated in Chinese, it’s his actual name in English that is more important," she said.

On Tuesday, Beijing broke the silence and signaled it may be willing to work with Rubio despite the sanctions leveled against him.

In a press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun did not comment on whether Beijing would lift sanctions, but did say that they see it as important to work with high-level officials.

"China will firmly defend national interests," Guo insisted.

"In the meantime, we believe it is necessary for high-level officials of both countries to maintain contact in an appropriate manner."

While this does not present an answer on whether Rubio will be allowed to travel to China for diplomatic visits, it does indicate – along with the name change – that Beijing may be willing to exercise flexibility.