Secretary of State draws a firm line as China pressures US to "oppose" Taiwanese independence and President Trump avoids the topic.
DOHA, QATAR – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a forceful and direct message of reassurance to Taiwan on Sunday, vowing the island's security will not be "a bargaining chip" in high-stakes trade and security negotiations between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping.
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| Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed long-standing U.S. support for Taiwan. |
Speaking to reporters during a refueling stop while traveling between Israel and Qatar, Rubio moved to preemptively quash growing anxiety in Taipei. His comments come as he flies to Asia to join President Trump for a series of summits, including a critical first meeting with the Chinese leader since Trump's return to the White House.
"I don't think you're going to see some trade deal where... we're going to get favorable treatment on trade in exchange for walking away from Taiwan," Rubio stated unequivocally. "No one is contemplating that."
China’s Diplomatic Squeeze
Rubio's comments are a direct counter to a renewed diplomatic offensive from Beijing. President Xi Jinping has been aggressively pressuring the Trump administration to fundamentally alter the delicate and long-standing language of its "One China" policy.
For decades, the official U.S. position has been that it "does not support" Taiwanese independence—a carefully calibrated phrase of strategic ambiguity. Beijing is now demanding that Washington's official position shift to "opposes" independence.
This seemingly minor semantic change would represent a massive diplomatic victory for China, effectively aligning the U.S. with Beijing’s core sovereignty claim over the democratic island.
A Calculated Silence from Trump
The Secretary of State’s firm stance contrasts sharply with President Trump’s own calculated ambiguity.
When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One about the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, the president deflected.
"I don't want to talk about that now," Trump said. "I don’t want to create any complexity. The trip is already complex enough."
This reluctance to commit has fueled speculation that everything is on the table for the upcoming meeting, forcing his Secretary of State to step in and draw a clear red line.
The anxiety in Taiwan is further compounded by President Trump’s own "transactional" view of alliances. While the U.S. remains Taiwan's single largest military backer, Trump has previously floated the idea that the island should have to pay more for its U.S-provided security umbrella, reinforcing the very fears Rubio sought to dispel: that its status could be part of a negotiation.
The Taiwan issue is a major flashpoint in a U.S.-China relationship already strained by disputes over massive trade imbalances, forced technology transfers, and human rights.
President Trump is scheduled to meet President Xi next week while attending a regional summit in South Korea. His high-stakes Asia tour will also include stops in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit and in Japan.