The US Department of State has removed a statement on its Web site that it does not support Taiwanese independence, among changes that the Taiwanese government praised yesterday as supporting Taiwan.
The Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, produced by the department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, previously stated that the US opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.”
In the updated version published on Thursday, the line stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence had been removed.
Photo: CNA
The updated paragraph now reads: “We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. 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.”
The latest version of the fact sheet has added a reference to Taiwan’s cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project, and it also updated the US’ approach to supporting Taiwan’s international participation.
Previously, in the section on Taiwan’s role in the international community, the fact sheet said Washington “will continue to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations where statehood is not a requirement and encourage Taiwan’s meaningful participation in organizations where its membership is not possible.”
Following Thursday’s alteration, the section no longer mentions statehood, saying only that the US “will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including membership where applicable.”
Since ending official relations with the Republic of China and switching diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually reiterated its stance that it “does not support Taiwan independence.”
The last time the same fact sheet removed the lines on the US not supporting Taiwanese independence was in May 2022 during the administration of then-US president Joe Biden. However, the line was reinstated about a month later following protests from Beijing.
Asked for comment by local media, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said the changes were part of routine updates.
“As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” an AIT spokesperson said in an e-mailed response.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
The unnamed spokesperson also reiterated the US’ commitment to its “one China” policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances” to Taiwan.
“We have long stated that we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We do not comment on every hypothetical. China presents the single greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the spokesperson said, without elaborating.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) expressing gratitude to the US State Department for reaffirming support toward Taiwan with the latest updates in the fact sheet with “positive, Taiwan-friendly wordings.”Lin thanked US President Donald Trump’s administration for continuing to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act and “six assurances” to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities, economic and societal resilience, and enhance cross-strait peace and stability, the statement said.
The ministry said the fact sheet update demonstrates that the US places high importance on enhancing bilateral economic and trade partnerships with Taiwan, and its international participation in international organizations.
Lin added that Taiwan would continue to bolster its self-defense capabilities and its economic and social resilience.
It would also seek to deepen cooperation with the US and other like-minded countries to pursue common interests, and maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Separately, a source yesterday said that the update to the US-Taiwan relations Web site demonstrated that the US regards Taiwan as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, and that it was pursuing this relationship in a “more positive and proactive manner than before.”
“It illustrates the strong mutual trust between Taiwan and the US, and negates recent narratives expressing doubt about Trump, and doubt about the US, which is rhetoric put forth by pro-China factions,” the source said.
While the US still cannot officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state or establish formal diplomatic relations, the removal of phrasing about Taiwanese independence, and support for resolving cross-strait differences in a way acceptable to both sides, is a means of treating Taiwan as an independent entity, they said.
“These actions directly counter Beijing’s claim that the Taiwan issue is purely a domestic affair of China’s,” they said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
BIG SPENDERS: Foreign investors bought the most Taiwan equities since 2005, signaling confidence that an AI boom would continue to benefit chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) market capitalization swelled to US$2 trillion for the first time following a 4.25 percent rally in its American depositary receipts (ADR) overnight, putting the world’s biggest contract chipmaker sixth on the list of the world’s biggest companies by market capitalization, just behind Amazon.com Inc. The site CompaniesMarketcap.com ranked TSMC ahead of Saudi Aramco and Meta Platforms Inc. The Taiwanese company’s ADRs on Tuesday surged to US$385.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications led to chip supply constraints and boost revenue growth to record-breaking levels. Each TSMC ADR represents
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS