U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, a known China hawk, had his first phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Jan. 24. (Source photos by Reuters)
KEN MORIYASU
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday that the U.S. "does not support" Taiwan independence and hopes to see the issue resolved peacefully in a way acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The statement, unveiled in a readout from China's official Xinhua News Agency, was in line with the U.S. government's long-held stance on the contentious issue and will ease Chinese concerns toward the new U.S. administration.