TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington opposes China's deployment of coast guard vessels near Taiwan.
Rubio made the remarks after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, per ETtoday. He said Washington has repeatedly raised Chinese coast guard activities near Taiwan with Beijing, arguing the deployments are inconsistent with efforts to maintain strategic stability.
Rubio said the US does not accept any country's attempt to control international waters. He said Washington will continue to uphold freedom of navigation and fulfill its treaty commitments, including to the Philippines.
He said the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea remain among the most contentious issues in US-China relations and must be managed through dialogue to avoid conflict while preserving global economic stability, ETtoday reported. He added that diplomacy requires managing differences without allowing them to escalate into a conflict with global consequences.
Citing the Cold War, Rubio said the US and the Soviet Union maintained military and diplomatic communication even during periods of heightened tension to reduce the risk of miscalculation. He said US-China relations have not reached that point, but communication remains essential given the two countries' influence on the global economy and international order.
Asked about a pending US arms sale to Taiwan, Rubio said the proposed package remains under internal review after being notified to Congress, adding that Washington approved its largest-ever arms sale to Taiwan in December, per Up Media. He said the review reflects US stockpiles, defense production capacity, domestic requirements, and the impact of military sales to Ukraine.
The closed-door meeting lasted about 90 minutes and also explored potential areas of cooperation ahead of a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping (習近平) in September, per PTS News.
