US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern over Beijing’s coercion against Taiwan during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Focus Taiwan reported, citing the US State Department.

According to Focus Taiwan, Rubio stressed the United States’ “commitment to our allies in the region and serious concerns about China’s coercive actions in Taiwan and the South China Sea,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement read after the call on Friday (Washington time).

Bruce quoted Rubio as saying that the United States pursues a relationship with Beijing that “advances U.S. interests and puts the American people first.”

This was the first phone call that Rubio, who is also secretary of state, has had with Wang, who is also director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Reaffirming America’s commitment to its allies, Focus Taiwan reported Friday, citing a report in Politico, that Rubio has issued an order to halt most existing U.S. foreign aid, with the exception of military funds allocated to Israel and Egypt, for 90 days, pending a review by the Secretary of State.

The report cited several current and former State Department officials who expressed concerns that the order would affect U.S. aid to Taiwan, Ukraine, and other partners.

As of press time, the State Department had not responded to CNA’s request for comment.

Following the call, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement urging Washington to “prudently” handle the Taiwan issue, and Wang stressed that Beijing “will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China,” Focus Taiwan reported.

Rubio’s statement, which stated that the United States does not support Taiwan independence and calls for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue, was not included in the American version of the reading, Focus Taiwan also noted.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a press release on Saturday (Taipei time) saying it “accepted” Rubio’s comments on Beijing’s intimidation of Taiwan but opposed the “false statements” from the Chinese side.

Focus Taiwan reported that Taiwan and the “People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other” and rejected Wang’s claim that Taiwan has been “an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times.”