Dear Focus Reader,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a call yesterday ahead of the potential summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this month. During the call, Wang said Taiwan remains the "greatest risk" to U.S.-China relations, and reiterated that Beijing opposes any form of external support for the island.

He urged the U.S. to "handle the Taiwan issue with prudence" and avoid actions that could escalate tensions. Washington, in turn, emphasized the importance of maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait and reiterated its longstanding position on cross-strait peace and security.

The call comes amid continued U.S. engagement with Taiwan, including ongoing arms sales, security assistance, and expanded training cooperation. At the same time, China has sustained military pressure on the island through regular air and naval activity near the island, including incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone and patrols in the Taiwan Strait.

Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing also traded public criticism this week following developments related to Panama Canal-linked port infrastructure. U.S. officials raised concerns about Chinese involvement in port operations tied to the canal and issued a joint statement with a group of regional partners, including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, criticizing the developments as a "blatant attempt to politicize maritime trade" and raising concerns about the neutrality of a key global shipping route.

Chinese officials responded separately, rejecting the characterization and accusing the United States of "hypocrisy," while opposing what they described as interference in other countries' internal affairs.

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