US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed Washington's long-standing support for Taiwan, reassuring the island that its commitment to the US will not change during ongoing trade talks with China.
Speaking to reporters on a flight from Israel to Qatar en route to join President Donald Trump in Asia, Rubio dismissed concerns that a potential trade deal with China could lead to a shift in US policy towards Taiwan. "I don't think you're going to see some trade deal where, if what people are worried about is we're going to get some trade deal, or we're going to get favorable treatment on trade in exchange for walking away from Taiwan," he said.
Rubio's comments come as Chinese President Xi Jinping has renewed efforts to push the US into changing its "One China" policy, which recognizes Taiwan as part of China while maintaining diplomatic relations with the island. Beijing has asked the Trump administration to officially adopt language saying that it opposes independence for Taiwan, a move that would represent a key diplomatic win for China.
The US is Taiwan's largest military backer, but tensions have risen over issues like trade, technology transfers, and human rights. President Trump has previously floated the idea that Taiwan should pay for its own security, sparking concerns among lawmakers and allies.
Rubio's reassurance has been welcomed by Taiwanese officials, who say they are committed to maintaining a strong relationship with Washington despite the challenges posed by Beijing. The US president is scheduled to meet Xi next week at a regional summit in South Korea, marking their first meeting since Trump returned to the White House in January.
Speaking to reporters on a flight from Israel to Qatar en route to join President Donald Trump in Asia, Rubio dismissed concerns that a potential trade deal with China could lead to a shift in US policy towards Taiwan. "I don't think you're going to see some trade deal where, if what people are worried about is we're going to get some trade deal, or we're going to get favorable treatment on trade in exchange for walking away from Taiwan," he said.
Rubio's comments come as Chinese President Xi Jinping has renewed efforts to push the US into changing its "One China" policy, which recognizes Taiwan as part of China while maintaining diplomatic relations with the island. Beijing has asked the Trump administration to officially adopt language saying that it opposes independence for Taiwan, a move that would represent a key diplomatic win for China.
The US is Taiwan's largest military backer, but tensions have risen over issues like trade, technology transfers, and human rights. President Trump has previously floated the idea that Taiwan should pay for its own security, sparking concerns among lawmakers and allies.
Rubio's reassurance has been welcomed by Taiwanese officials, who say they are committed to maintaining a strong relationship with Washington despite the challenges posed by Beijing. The US president is scheduled to meet Xi next week at a regional summit in South Korea, marking their first meeting since Trump returned to the White House in January.
. The US and China are just trying to distract us from the real issue – Taiwan! They're trying to get a trade deal with China, but what's the real motive? Is it really about economic growth or is it something more sinister? And now Rubio comes along and says they'll still support Taiwan, but don't believe him. There's gotta be a catch.
. The US thinks they're being friendly to China, but really they're just getting manipulated into giving away more and more control over Taiwan. I'm not buying it. This is all part of some bigger game, mark my words! 
. On one hand, they want to keep trade talks with China going, which is a big deal for the economy. But on the other hand, they also can't let China get away with this "One China" policy that's basically saying Taiwan isn't even part of the country anymore 
. It's like, what's up with that? Can't China just accept Taiwan as its own or something? 
The US is trying to keep Taiwan happy while also not wanting to go to war with China... it's a tough spot for them. I'm curious to see how this all plays out, especially when Trump meets Xi next week 
.
. Rubio's comments are probably just a PR stunt to keep Taiwan quiet while the US plays both sides against each other. I mean, what's to stop them from using trade as leverage to get Taiwan to sign away its sovereignty? It's just a matter of time before Xi Jinping gets his way and the US is left looking like a pushover 
. And don't even get me started on Trump's idea that Taiwan should pay for its own security... what kind of joke is that? 
The fact that Rubio had to reassure Taiwan that their commitment to the US won't change just proves how precarious this situation is 
Then they'll just cut off trade and everything falls apart for the US. But now Rubio says we've got Taiwan's back, and I'm like YAAAS, let's get this done! 
At least now we can see how this whole thing plays out with Trump meeting Xi next week. Will he cave in or stick to his guns? 
but honestly Marco Rubio's comments are giving me hope 
if he's saying that US support for Taiwan isn't changing just because of a trade deal then maybe we can all breathe a sigh of relief 
I mean yes it's complex and there are so many factors at play but this reassurance is exactly what we need right now 
Taiwanese officials seem really chill about it too which is awesome 
let's not forget that the US has Taiwan's back when it comes to military support 
so I'm feeling pretty positive about this whole situation 
especially since China has been trying to get the US to adopt their "One China" policy for ages. i feel bad for Taiwan though, they're already dealing with so much pressure from Beijing... 
do you think this reassurance from Rubio will help ease some of those tensions or is it just a diplomatic move? 
like even if they get a trade deal, us will still be down for taiwan 
which is kinda awesome, tbh 
which is pretty cool, but also kinda stressful for us americans who are already dealing with so many other global issues 
That's a huge commitment! And if we look at the current trade talks with China, it's interesting to see how the numbers are shifting... 
. On the other hand, in 2020, the US exported around $123 billion worth of goods to China, while in 2023 that number rose to $142 billion 
It feels like a bit of a diplomatic game, you know?
! Like, he straight up told China to chill on tryna get them to change the "One China" policy, and now Taiwanese officials are living their best lives 
. I mean, it's all about maintaining those diplomatic ties, fam 
!
! let's just hope xi doesn't try to use his usual tricks on trumps next week 
. fingers crossed for a peaceful asia summit