TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged following talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, adding that any forcible change to the Taiwan Strait status quo would be harmful to both countries.

Trump and Xi met at the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for talks lasting about two hours and 15 minutes, per CNA. Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were also present.

China's state-run Xinhua reported that Xi told Trump that the mishandling of the Taiwan issue could lead to “clashes and even conflict” and put China-US relations in jeopardy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNA that Beijing has no right to make any claims on behalf of Taiwan and that it has no authority to represent Taiwan internationally.

In an interview with NBC News after the meeting, Rubio said Taiwan was discussed but stressed that, “Our policies on that have not changed.” He noted that US weapons deals with Taiwan “did not feature prominently” in Thursday's talks. 

He added that, “From our perspective, any forced change in the status quo and the situation that’s there now would be bad for both countries."

Asked Friday about Rubio’s remarks, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said, “We are closely monitoring the situation,” per CNA. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) thanked the US for repeatedly underscoring the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and reaffirming that its Taiwan policy remains unchanged.