US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio claims that Washington does not seek to destabilize the situation around Taiwan.
The Secretary of State expressed confidence that US President Donald Trump will discuss the Taiwan issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his planned visit to China on May 14-15. “We assume that China understands our position on this issue, and we understand theirs“, said Rubio.
“I think both sides understand that destabilization in this part of the world is not in the interest of either country. "We do not want any destabilizing events in Taiwan or anywhere else in the Indo-Pacific region," he told reporters at the White House.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) withdrew there after losing the Chinese Civil War.
Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People's Republic of China. The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established them with the People's Republic of China.
Declaring the policy of "one China", Washington continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei administration. The United States is the main supplier of arms to Taiwan. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the total value of US military supplies to the island in the past few years has exceeded $70 billion.
The current Washington administration has promised to increase the pace of arms and military equipment supplies to Taiwan.