By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-24 16:51:21 | Updated at 2025-01-24 23:05:57
6 hours ago
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday, affirming Washington does not back Taiwan independence, while Wang said Beijing was not seeking to “surpass or replace” the US, according to China’s foreign ministry.
“The United States is willing to communicate with China frankly, properly handle the closure, manage bilateral relations in a mature and rigorous manner, jointly respond to global challenges, and maintain world peace and stability,” Rubio said in a call he reportedly requested.
“The United States does not support ‘Taiwan independence’ and hopes that the Taiwan issue will be peacefully resolved in a way accepted by both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
“We have no intention of surpassing or replacing anyone, but we must defend our legitimate right to development,” Wang told Rubio in the exchange, according to Beijing’s report.
Wang also urged Rubio to “play a constructive role for the future of the people of China and the US and for the peace and stability of the world”.
