Rubio pitches US business in Central Asia, says China ties need not suffer

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington wanted to compete for business in Central Asia without asking countries to stop working with China, as the United States and five regional governments outlined proposals to deepen cooperation on minerals, transport and technology.Speaking in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Rubio was asked what Washington could offer as Beijing expanded its presence in the region.“I mean, look, it’s competition, right? We have products, we have companies; they make things. And we just want fair competition and an opportunity,” he said.