Beijing warns US after hint of Taiwan independence
The state department says its ‘one China’ policy remains but drops explicit opposition to island’s independence — a shift in policy that has enraged Beijing.
China accused President Trump’s government of taking a “step back” after it dropped a statement of opposition to independence for Taiwan in a move that hints at a change to long established American policy.
In its online “fact sheet” on Taiwan, the State Department removed the words “we do not support Taiwan independence”, a commitment that has been at the heart of its Chinese diplomacy since President Nixon established relations with Beijing in the 1970s.
Although the document still articulates the US’s “longstanding ‘one China’ policy”, the removal of an explicit objection to Taiwanese independence was denounced by Beijing as undermining its claim to sovereignty over the island.
“The ... revision of the fact sheet ... represents a serious step back in its stance on Taiwan-related issues, severely violating the One China principle,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, said yesterday (Sunday). “It also gravely contravenes international law and the basic norms of international relations, sending a seriously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces. This is yet another example of ... ‘using Taiwan to contain China’. We urge the US to immediately correct its mistakes.”
The change to the website was gratefully acknowledged by the government of Taiwan, which described it as “positive and friendly toward us, reflecting the close and amicable partnership between Taiwan and the United States”.
The State Department denied any change of policy. “As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” a statement said. “The United States remains committed to its one China policy.”
After the victory of Mao Zedong’s Communists in 1949, the defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established what has become one of the richest and most dynamic societies in east Asia. The island has always been claimed by the communist mainland as part of China and President Xi insists he will “reunify” it, by force if necessary.
Under pressure from Beijing, most foreign governments adopt a “one China” policy and only a dwindling handful recognise Taiwan officially. Despite this, the island of 23 million people is in practical ways a functioning independent state, with elected leaders, a flourishing economy, well-equipped armed forces and diplomatic relations with foreign capitals via “representative offices”, which are not official embassies but function much like them.
Beijing has made it clear that an open declaration of independence would provoke an invasion and no government of Taiwan has come close to taking this step. President Lai of Taiwan has said it is not necessary as the island has effective independence.
Washington is obliged by US law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself but the question of what it would do in the event of a Chinese invasion has been left deliberately unclear. The US provides the island with military equipment, but in the past it has avoided a commitment to defending it actively. This “strategic ambiguity” was intended to preserve the status quo by sowing doubt in the mind of Beijing, while discouraging Taiwan from openly declaring independence.
This policy was undermined by President Biden, who repeatedly said that US troops would be sent to fight off a Chinese invasion. But until last Thursday the State Department homepage still contained the words “we do not support Taiwan independence”.
The expression had been removed under Biden in May 2022 but restored three weeks later after China denounced it as “an act of political manipulation and an attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait”. Beijing said at the time: “[It] will backfire and the US itself will get burnt”.
The new text on the website also changes language referring to Taiwan’s right to join international organisations. The island has no United Nations seat and is blocked by China from joining other bodies, except as an observer or under the name “Chinese Taipei”.
The previous State Department page said the US would “continue to support Taiwan’s membership in international organisations where statehood is not a requirement and encourage Taiwan’s meaningful participation in organisations where its membership is not possible”. The new one drops the reference to “statehood” as a condition, simply saying that the US “will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations, including membership where applicable”.
Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese studies at King’s College London, said: “We are in the midst of this struggle of symbolism and gestures between the US and China. The best posture is to treat what either side say these days with deep scepticism. They are clearly gearing up for a big new tussle and that will largely focus on trade.”
Separately, the PLA accused Canada of “deliberately stirring up trouble and undermining peace and stability” after HMCS Ottawa, a Royal Canadian Navy frigate, passed through the Taiwan Strait. Western navies regularly make such transits to assert the right to free navigation in the international waters between Taiwan and the mainland.
The Times
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout