On the 26th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the United States would not 'pass over' South Korea and Japan amidst concerns that the U.S. may be 'passing' in its foreign policy.
In a transcript from an interview released by the State Department that day, Secretary Rubio responded to a question about 'how committed President Donald Trump is to defending Taiwan' by saying, 'In the Indo-Pacific, they (China) are trying to push us out,' and added, 'We have strong relationships with Pacific nations (allied and partner countries) and will not abandon Japan and Korea.'
Regarding Taiwan, he said, 'We oppose coercive, forced, and compulsory changes to Taiwan's status,' stating, 'That has been our position since the late 1970s, and it will remain so and will not change.'
However, he expressed concerns about U.S. military capabilities and stated that the shipping manufacturing capacity needs to be developed. Secretary Rubio said, 'We need military capabilities to respond to the threats posed by China, and I am concerned about that,' adding, 'We have aircraft manufacturers and shipbuilders, but we cannot keep up with their (China's) pace. China can build 10 ships before we finish building one. This is a very serious vulnerability.' He continued, 'Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the President have plans regarding this,' and noted, 'We will continue to work on it.'