Taiwan military demonstrates combat readiness, Taichung, January 8, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang Purchase Licensing Rights
REUTERS | Published February 19, 2025
BEIJING/TAIPEI, Feb 17 (Reuters) – China on Monday urged the United States to “correct its mistakes” after the U.S. State Department removed previous wording on its website about not supporting Taiwan independence, which it said was part of a routine update.
The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington’s opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own.
But as well as dropping the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence”, the page added a reference to Taiwan’s cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the U.S. will support Taiwan’s membership in international organisations “where applicable”.
Beijing regularly denounces any international recognition of Taiwan or contact between Taiwanese and foreign officials, viewing it as encouraging Taiwan’s separate status from China.
The update to the website came roughly three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in to his second term in the White House.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the revisions for Taiwan on the U.S. State Department’s website were a big step backwards and “sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces”.
“This is yet another example of the United States’ stubborn adherence to the erroneous policy of ‘using Taiwan to suppress China’. We urge the United States side to immediately rectify its mistakes,” Guo said.
The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
“As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email sent late Sunday Taiwan time responding to questions on the updated website wording.
“The United States remains committed to its one China policy,” the spokesperson said, referring to Washington officially taking no position on Taiwan’s sovereignty and only acknowledging China’s position on the subject.
“The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the spokesperson said.
“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We support cross-Strait dialogue, and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait.”
On Sunday, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed his appreciation for what he called the “support and positive stance on U.S.-Taiwan relations”.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying that only the island’s people can decide their future.
Taiwan says it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists, who set up the People’s Republic of China.
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SOURCE: www.reuters.com
RELATED: Change to State Department website sparks fiery rebuke from Beijing over Taiwanese independence
The Taiwanese and American flags in Taipei, Taiwan on February 22, 2024.
CNN | Published February 18, 2025
Hong Kong CNN — China has accused the Trump administration of “serious regression” in its position on Taiwan, after the State Department removed a line from its website stating that the US does not support Taiwan independence.
In what it called a “routine” update to its online fact sheet on US relations with Taiwan last week, the State Department dropped the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” – a position long held by Washington.
The change was welcomed by Taipei but triggered one of the strongest rebukes from Beijing since Donald Trump returned to the White House. China’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory, and has vowed to take control of the island one day, by force if necessary.
China’s Foreign Ministry urged the US on Monday to “immediately correct its mistakes” over the removal of the line, or risk “further serious damage” to China-US relations which are being tested once again by the return of Trump’s “America First” policy.
“The US State Department’s revision of the list of facts regarding US-Taiwan relations represents a serious regression in its stance on Taiwan…(and) sends a seriously erroneous message to the separatist forces advocating for Taiwan independence,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference.
“This is further evidence of the US stubbornly adhering to the erroneous policy of using Taiwan to contain China. We urge the US to immediately correct its mistakes,” Guo added, warning Washington to handle the Taiwan issue with “utmost caution.”
Analysts have said that Chinese leaders are particularly concerned about Trump’s new foreign policy team’s stance on Taiwan, the reddest of red lines for Beijing.
Trump’s second term cabinet is stacked with prominent China hawks, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio has been a steadfast supporter of Taiwan. The former senator has previously pushed for a raft of legislation to strengthen ties between Washington and Taipei, including fast-tracking US arms sales to the island.
In a statement to CNN, the State Department described the wording change as part of a standard update.
“As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” a State Department spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the US remains committed to its “one China policy” – a line that is still stated in the updated fact sheet.
Under what is known as the “one China policy,” the US recognizes the People’s Republic as the sole legitimate government of China; it also acknowledges Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never accepted the Chinese Communist Party’s claim of sovereignty over the island.
“The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.” the spokesperson said.
The wording on Taiwan independence was also removed in 2022 from the State Department website, only to be restored a month later, according to Reuters.
In a statement to CNN, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcomed the website change saying its content reflected “support and positive stance on US-Taiwan relations.”
The latest fact sheet also said that Washington will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including membership “where applicable.” It previously stated that Washington will continue to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations “where statehood is not a requirement,” according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which first reported on the change in wording.
Under Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive leader in a generation, Beijing has sought to isolate Taiwan economically, military and diplomatically, including preventing Taiwanese membership of major global bodies.
Last week, two US Navy ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait in the first such mission since Trump took office, drawing an angry response from China’s military, which accused the US action of “sending the wrong signals and increasing security risks.”
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
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