The United States has reiterated its opposition to any forced change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressing that Washington does not seek conflict while standing by its long-standing policies on Taiwan, a recent report carried by the island nation’s Central News Agency (CNA) said.

His comments come as Taiwan continues to face the persistent threat of a Chinese invasion. In an interview broadcast on the social media platform X, Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s stance, stating: "We are against any sort of compelled, forced change of status. That's been our policy; that remains our policy."

The Secretary of State further stressed that the US is not seeking to provoke or instigate conflict, citing the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances as the foundation of Washington’s approach. "That's generally how we've left it, and that's what's provided stability," he said. "I hope it continues to provide stability" he added.

Backing for Taiwan’s international participation

Rubio also reiterated US support for Taiwan’s participation in international forums, asserting that its views and interests are currently not represented by Beijing.

"We're going to keep all the commitments we've made, but the most important one is to make clear that we are against and oppose any sort of forced change in status," he said in the CNA report.

His remarks follow recent updates to the US State Department’s Taiwan-related fact sheet, which removed previous language stating that Washington does not support Taiwan's independence while reaffirming support for the island’s international participation, much to the annoyance of Communist authorities in China.

European Parliament visits

Meanwhile, in another demonstration of EU recognition of Taiwan, a delegation from the European Parliament (EP) arrived in Taiwan earlier in the week to mark the first visit by EP lawmakers in 2025.

The group, led by Ivars Ījabs, a vice-president of the Renew Europe political group from Latvia, was scheduled to meet Taiwan’s Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim and other senior officials during their five-day trip.

The delegation also includes Hannes Heide of Austria, Arkadiusz Mularczyk from Poland, and Vladimir Prebilič from Slovenia, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During their visit, the EP members were scheduled to engage with government officials, lawmakers, as well as a number of local NGOs during which time they would be discussing Taiwan-EU relations in addition to regional geopolitics, and technological innovation a statement by the Ministry said.

Regional tensions

As is always the case when European, or US delegations visit Taiwan, MOFA welcomed the delegation’s visit according to CNA, and expressed gratitude for the EP’s continued support for the country.

This included the passage of recent resolutions that raise concerns over China's increasing military activities in the Taiwan Strait and calls for deeper Taiwan-EU cooperation; a reference to the EP having passed resolutions regarding the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), highlighting the growing tensions in the region.

China has been more and more aggressive in recent months, having intensified its military presence around Taiwan by conducting daily air and naval exercises in what is widely seen as an attempt to intimidate the island and test international resolve.

The US and its European allies have repeatedly condemned these actions alongside other nations from around the world.