The U.S. response to the foreign ministers' phone call between China and the United States was brief, subtly indicating its economic and trade demands toward China.

The United States has finally issued an official response! After two days of silence, the U.S. has spoken—its reply is extremely brief! On July 3, according to a report from Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore, the U.S. Department of State released a short statement on its official website on Thursday (July 2), confirming that Rubio had spoken with Wang Yi, but notably, the U.S. did not disclose the specific timing of their conversation.

In the statement, the U.S. claimed that, in line with principles outlined by President Trump, establishing a constructive bilateral relationship based on fairness, reciprocity, and strategic stability is crucial. To be honest, the fact that the U.S. neither revealed the call’s timing nor addressed the Taiwan issue, and offered such a concise statement, is highly unexpected. In a sense, the U.S. is clearly downplaying this high-level foreign ministers’ dialogue between China and the U.S.

Why is the U.S. taking such a stance? Simply put, it clearly indicates that the U.S. still only wants to talk about issues it cares about—but facing our clear warnings, it cannot afford to ignore them entirely. The reality is plain: by avoiding mention of the Taiwan issue while emphasizing the “crucial importance” of building a “constructive bilateral relationship based on fairness, reciprocity, and strategic stability,” the fundamental message is that China should increase purchases of American products and ensure smooth supply of rare earth materials.

However, today’s Sino-U.S. relations are clearly no longer a situation where the U.S. sets conditions and we accept them unconditionally. Faced with our firm warnings on the Taiwan issue, the U.S. may choose not to bring it up, but absolutely cannot pretend it doesn’t exist. The U.S. undoubtedly has its own calculations regarding Taiwan. If the U.S. adheres to the One-China Principle, it would openly declare so—but clearly, it does not wish to appear weak. Therefore, since the U.S. remains silent, we must pay close attention to its actions in the Taiwan Strait. It is the U.S.’s concrete behavior, not its words, that reveals its true attitude on the Taiwan issue.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869654716749065/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.