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.

Even though the changes Trump has introduced were largely expected, the start of his second term has also been filled with surprises and drastic turnarounds, presented through his half-hour long inaugural address,

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and Beijing said he told the known China hawk that the direction and tone of U.S.-China ties had been set by their leaders and he hoped Rubio would play a constructive role for the good of the people of both countries.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday that the U.S. "does not support" Taiwan independence and hopes to see the issue resolved peacefully in a way acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime China hawk, expressed concern about Beijing’s coercive behavior against Taiwan and aggression in the South China Sea in his first formal call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday,