US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said that US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change of Taiwan's "status quo" by force or extortion and would maintain that policy.
Speaking with conservative TV host Hugh Hewitt, Rubio said the US' policy is to maintain Taiwan's "status quo" and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion.
"That's the policy of the United States. That remains the policy of the United States," Rubio said. "That's been the policy of President Trump, and that will continue to be his policy. And when he makes policy decisions, he means them."
Photo: EPA
Rubio's comments followed a statement on Tuesday by a US Department of State spokesperson, who described China's latest drills near Taiwan the previous day as "brazen and irresponsible threats" and reiterated Washington's decades-long support for Taipei.
On Monday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army deployed more than two dozen military aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and sent dozens more into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), in collaboration with Chinese naval vessels, from 6am to about 9pm, according to data issued by Taiwan's military.
In Rubio's interview on Tuesday, he was asked about the significance of Trump's meeting earlier this month with C.C. Wei (魏哲家), chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which the president described as a "big deal."
When asked whether Trump's comment was an indication of the US' resolve to stand with Taiwan, Rubio said Washington's policy on the issue remains the same as it has always been.
On March 3, during a visit by Wei to the White House, Trump announced that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion in the US.
According to Wei, the investment is intended to cover the establishment of three more advanced wafer fabs, two IC assembly plants, and one research and development center in Arizona, which would bring the company's total investment in the US state to US$165 billion.
On Tuesday, Rubio was also asked in the interview whether the US would be able to deter Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) from attacking Taiwan.
In response, Rubio said Washington can delay and deter by making the price of taking Taiwan higher than what Xi believes to be the benefits.
He noted, however, that the Chinese president wants the annexation of Taiwan to be defined as a crown jewel of his time in power.
"So it's a very delicate situation there," Rubio said. "Our policy remains the same. We do not believe that there should be any violent and/or extortion-based change to the status."
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