Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday reaffirmed long-standing U.S. support for Taiwan and emphasized that the island will not be abandoned in trade negotiations with China.
Speaking to reporters during a trip between Israel and Qatar en route to join President Donald Trump in Asia, Rubio said Taiwan should not worry about the trade talks.
“I don’t think you’re going to see a trade deal where people are concerned about a trade deal, or favorable trade treatment in exchange for Taiwan walking away,” Rubio said. “No one is considering that.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed long-standing US support for Taiwan. (Fadel Senna/Pool via Reuters)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has renewed efforts to push the US to change its one-China policy, recognizing Taiwan as part of China while maintaining relations with the island.
Beijing has asked the Trump administration to officially adopt language saying it “opposes” Taiwan’s independence, a change that would mark a major diplomatic victory for China as Washington’s current position is that it “does not support” independence.
Taiwan is a major issue in China’s relationship with the US, with the relationship tense over other issues such as trade, technology transfer and human rights.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Taiwan should not worry about the trade talks. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo)
The US is Taiwan’s biggest military backer, but Trump has floated the idea that the island should pay for its security.
Trump declined to answer when asked about U.S. policy toward Taiwan while en route to Asia on Air Force One.
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. I don’t want to create complexity. The journey is complex enough,” Trump told reporters.
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Beijing has asked the Trump administration to officially adopt language saying it “opposes” Taiwan’s independence. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
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The US president will meet Xi next week at a regional summit in South Korea, the first meeting between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January.
Trump’s trip to Asia includes stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.
Reuters contributed to this report.
