The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.”
This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022 during the administration of former US president Joe Biden, but it was reinstated after the removal triggered complaints from Beijing.
The latest version published on Thursday last week, three weeks after US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, suggests a new US approach to supporting Taiwan’s international engagement.
The previous fact sheet said that Washington “will continue to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations where statehood is not a requirement,” while the new version no longer mentions statehood, but says that the US would “continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including membership where applicable.”
The US Department of State simultaneously added sharper phrasing to the fact sheet of US-China relations, saying: “China has increasingly attempted to manipulate and subvert international organizations, including the UN and various regional fora, as tools to advance CCP [Chinese Communist Party] goals globally … and advance its interests at the expense of the US and US allies and partners.”
It also says that the US would work “to deter China’s aggression, combat China’s unfair trade policies, counter China’s malicious cyberactivity, end China’s global trafficking of fentanyl precursors, mitigate China’s manipulation of international organizations, and promote accountability for China’s violations of human rights within China and around the globe.”
The revised fact sheets show that the Trump administration considers China to be the biggest threat to the US’ global interests.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a meeting last week with NATO members about negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, said that the US government was no longer primarily focused on European security and that European nations should spend more on defense to counter Russia, as it makes more sense geographically for the US to invest in allies and capabilities in the Pacific to deter China.
Despite Trump triggering global concerns and diplomatic tensions with his new tariffs, including threatening to put tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors, the US Department of State in its new fact sheet has positioned Taiwan as “a highly advanced economy, and a key link in global manufacturing supply chains,” and added references to highlight Taiwan’s cooperation with the US in technology projects.
While the “today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan” skepticism has escalated due to the talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war without inviting representatives from Kyiv, the new fact sheet reveals an endorsement of US-Taiwan partnership.
Facing an changing international landscape, President William Lai (賴清德) has announced a plan to increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP to boost Taiwan’s self-defense, and has also called for strengthening cooperation with the US and like-minded nations to build “non-red” supply chains that would contribute to global security and prosperity.
With its strength in technology and its geographical significance in the first island chain, Taiwan must work to “be a chess player, not a chess piece.”
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