Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday painted a dark vision of the consequences of America's “unbalanced relationship” with China, echoing President-elect Donald Trump's anti-globalist rhetoric as he vies to be confirmed as his secretary of state.

During a relatively friendly confirmation hearing, Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for secretary of state, told lawmakers that “the 21st century will be defined by what happens between the United States and China.

Senator Marco Rubio is Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of state, but in the weeks running up to Inauguration Day, the president-elect’s special envoys have been getting most of the attention.

A veteran of the Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio is widely seen as one of Trump's least controversial Cabinet picks and is expected to sail through the nomination process.

Mr. Rubio expressed views aligned with those of most senators who work on foreign policy, while taking care not to break from Donald J. Trump’s unorthodox ideas.