US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington will not give up its support for Taiwan in order to conclude a trade agreement with China, reports "Bloomberg".
"If anyone is worried that we will supposedly get more favorable terms for trade in exchange for giving up support for Taiwan, I assure you: no one even thinks about that," the agency quoted Rubio as saying to journalists before taking off from Israel.
It was previously reported that Rubio will join US President Donald Trump during his trip to Asia, which will include stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.
Also next week Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trade tensions between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies, remain high. Disputes over tariffs, technology and market access remain unresolved days before the meeting.