China Urges US to Maintain Stability on Taiwan Issues

During a phone call on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US to exercise "the utmost caution" on matters concerning Taiwan. Even a slight shift on this issue could affect the overall situation, and both countries should cooperate on risk management, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The call followed the May summit in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. At that time, Xi told Trump that mishandling disagreements over Taiwan could push bilateral relations into an extremely dangerous state.

Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its territory and does not rule out the use of military force to gain control. Taipei rejects these claims, and the US is legally obligated to provide it with the means for its defense.

Wang said the US and China should work to build a constructive and strategically stable relationship, resolve disruptions and overcome obstacles. The ministers also agreed to maintain flexible communication going forward.

(Reuters, Max)