WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday reaffirmed Washington’s opposition to attempts to alter Taiwan’s status through force or coercion.
The pledge comes amid growing concerns about the military threat China poses to the democratically ruled island and worries that Taiwan may be sidelined as Washington looks to make deals with Beijing.
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said the best way to prevent a conflict in the Taiwan Strait is to have a strong U.S. “military capability,” adding that the United States needs to be “present” in the Indo-Pacific to deal with China.
“We have a longstanding position on Taiwan that we’re not going to abandon, and that is: We are against any forced, compelled, coercive change in the status of Taiwan,” Rubio said.
At the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump sidestepped a question about whether he would ensure that “China will never take Taiwan by force” during his presidency. He indicated that he does not want to see a war in the Taiwan Strait under his watch.
“I never comment on that. I don’t comment on anything because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting, adding “I have a great relationship with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping].”
Some Washington diplomats told VOA that Rubio’s remarks on Wednesday are in line with the Feb. 7 U.S.-Japan joint statement in which Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
During their first official meeting at the White House, the leaders declared in a statement that their countries “opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion.”
US urges allies to boost defense
The potential end of the war in Ukraine is one factor that could have an impact on Taiwan and the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific region, although not all analysts agree.
“I don’t believe that an end to the war in Ukraine would fundamentally shift U.S. strategic focus toward Asia on its own, since U.S. policymakers would have to remain concerned about a resumption of fighting or new Russian attacks against NATO allies,” Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told VOA.
Others contend the Trump administration has made it clear that NATO countries are responsible for increasing their defense spending. In this view, the end of the conflict in Ukraine would allow the U.S. to redirect its resources toward countering China.
James Fanell, a retired U.S. Navy captain and former director of intelligence and information operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said, “One key area will be in naval shipbuilding and restoring the size and capabilities of the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific, which has essentially not grown while the PLA [Chinese] Navy now is both the largest and one of the most lethal navies on the planet.
“It will also be a strong reminder to our allies in the Indo-Pacific that they, too, will have to increase their own defense spending,” Fanell said.
‘Today’s Ukraine … tomorrow’s Taiwan’
Former U.S. military officials who have recently visited Taiwan reported that the island is “definitely concerned about what’s happening with Ukraine.”
“The idea that one might be abandoned causes them to be petrified and concerned,” retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, currently a defense analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said during a recent FDD webinar.
He said that while Taiwanese think tankers, journalists and businesspeople are extremely worried, government officials are refraining from making public statements.
Taiwan has shown solidarity with Ukraine amid Russia’s aggression. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party has supported U.S. efforts to assist Kyiv, including the provision of defense equipment to Ukraine.
DPP leaders have said, “Today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s Taiwan,” drawing parallels between the situations and highlighting the risks posed by the unchecked aggression of authoritarian governments.
China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has never ruled out bringing the self-ruled democracy under its control, even by force. Earlier this week, on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership.
Critics, including Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, or KMT, have been skeptical about the DPP’s strategy of allying with and relying on the U.S. to resist China.
Reassuring Indo-Pacific nations
At a diplomatic event late Wednesday, senior U.S. officials provided reassurance to their allies in the Indo-Pacific.
Washington’s “America First” policy does not mean “America alone” in foreign affairs; the United States continues to engage with its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, said Sean O’Neill, a senior official from the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
He added that the U.S. remains committed to the security and sovereignty of nations in the Indo-Pacific.
Andrew Byers, deputy assistant secretary of defense, said that the U.S., “through robust dialogue and collaboration,” can address shared priorities to ensure a “free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
He said the Trump administration will continue to work “in lockstep with” allies to achieve it.
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