US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) did not warn him against "welcoming" US stopovers by President William Lai (賴清德) during direct talks on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia on Friday.
At a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Rubio said it "was not a warning-type meeting" when asked if Wang had raised the issue of Lai's transit visits through the US.
Photo: Reuters
Late last year, China lodged a "stern" protest with Washington after Lai made transit stops in Hawaii and Guam during a seven-day trip to the South Pacific.
In addition, Rubio said there was "no issue about drills" when asked if Taiwan's ongoing Han Kuang drills, which opened on Wednesday last week, had been discussed at the meeting.
"This was not a meeting where ... either side warned each other about anything," he said. "This was very constructive and productive, and I hope that that's how they reflect it as well, because I thought it was a very positive meeting."
"I think the Chinese position on Taiwan has been expressed [and] I don't think it's a mystery to anyone in terms of where they stand on it," he added. "And our position has also been expressed pretty openly."
Following Rubio's comments, US Department of State deputy spokesperson Mignon Houston said that Washington's longstanding relationship with Taipei does not and would not change under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
"We want to continue working with Taiwan [and] promoting their ability to participate in international forums and have the safety and security and confidence that their voices will be respected as well," Houston said during a Foreign Press Center roundtable in response to a question from the Central News Agency.
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