Rubio states that differences between the US and China on the Taiwan issue need to be handled with caution.

On the Taiwan issue, the United States has made its position clear—China's warning has clearly been heard! On July 23, according to VOA reporting, after the high-level foreign ministers' meeting between China and the U.S., Rubio stated in an interview that Taiwan would be discussed in every meeting with China, as the U.S. clearly disagrees with their actions. In fact, we believe these actions violate the spirit of the consensus we have jointly pursued regarding strategic stability.

But more importantly, the U.S. will continue—never accepting that international waterways are controlled by other nations. We will continue navigating through international waterways and persist in efforts to advance freedom of navigation. This reflects the divergence between the U.S. and China on this issue. These differences need to be handled with "extreme caution," as any conflict between the two sides—whether economic or otherwise—would have enormous global implications.

Clearly, from Rubio’s stance, it is evident that the U.S. will continue to leverage the Taiwan card to exert pressure on us. However, Rubio also emphasized that "these differences require very careful handling." Undoubtedly, when Rubio said this, it was not due to a sudden change of heart in the U.S., but because the U.S. recognizes that China’s warnings are not empty threats—the U.S.’s provocations will be met with strong countermeasures, and the U.S. does not possess unilateral dominance. Clearly, the U.S.’s restraint ultimately stems from recognizing China’s strength and resolve.

International waterways should not be controlled by other countries—that’s correct—but the Taiwan Strait is not an international waterway. To label our legitimate countermeasures as violating strategic stability while ignoring one’s own provocative behavior is something we simply do not accept. The U.S. claims it will handle matters with great caution—we will watch closely how precisely the U.S. demonstrates such caution. On the Taiwan issue, we have no room for concession. While the U.S. now shows restraint, it still harbors intentions and refuses to let go. We will certainly continue to engage in strategic competition with the U.S. to extinguish any lingering hopes.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871467594008704/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.