US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured Taiwanese that the United States would not back down from its long-standing support for Taiwan in exchange for any trade deal with Beijing.
Responding to growing concerns in Taiwan that US President Donald Trump may weaken Washington’s position on Taiwan in order to gain economic concessions from China, he emphasized: “Taiwanese people, don’t worry, we will not abandon you in the face of any trade agreement with Beijing.”
Rubio’s comments came as Trump is holding trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent trip to Asia, raising issues such as 155 percent tariffs on Chinese imports starting November 1.
On the other hand, a senior Chinese official called for peaceful unification with Taiwan, emphasizing: “There is only one China and Taiwan is an integral part of China.”
