Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, had his first conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Minister Wang Yi, the State Department reported. Rubio emphasized that the United States would be guided by the principle of "America First" and declared support for the U.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday, affirming Washington does not back Taiwan independence, according to China's foreign ministry, a detail omitted from the American side's read-out.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. Mainland China, officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule and asserts that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory, though it has never governed the island.