Trump against any change of Taiwan's status quo by force: Rubio

Washington, March 19 (CNA) U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is opposed to any change of Taiwan's status quo by force or extortion and will maintain that policy.

Speaking with conservative TV host Hugh Hewitt, Rubio said the U.S.' policy is to maintain Taiwan's status quo and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion.

"That's the policy of the United States; that remains the policy of the United States," Rubio said. "That's been the policy of President Trump, and that will continue to be his policy. And when he makes policy decisions, he means them."

Rubio's comments followed a statement Tuesday by a State Department spokesperson, who described China's latest drills near Taiwan the previous day as "brazen and irresponsible threats" and reiterated Washington's decades-long support for Taipei.

Also on Monday, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) deployed more than two dozen military aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and sent dozens more into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), in collaboration with Chinese naval vessels, from 6 a.m. to about 9 p.m., according to data issued by Taiwan's military.

In Rubio's interview Tuesday, he was asked about the significance of Trump's meeting earlier this month with C.C. Wei (魏哲家), chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which the president described as a "big deal."

When asked whether Trump's comment was an indication of the U.S.' resolve to stand with Taiwan, Rubio said Washington's policy on the issue remains the same as it has always been.

On March 3, during a visit by Wei to the White House, Trump announced that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion in the U.S. According to Wei, the investment will cover the establishment of three more advanced wafer fabs, two IC assembly plants, and one research and development center in Arizona, which will bring the company's total investment in the U.S. state to US$165 billion.

On Tuesday, Rubio was also asked in the interview whether the U.S. would be able to deter Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) from attacking Taiwan. In response, Rubio said Washington can delay and deter by making the price of taking Taiwan higher than what Xi believes to be the benefits.

He noted, however, that the Chinese president wants the annexation of Taiwan to be defined as a crown jewel of his time in power.

"So it's a very delicate situation there," Rubio said. "Our policy remains the same. We do not believe that there should be any violent and/or extortion-based change to the status."