The US Department of State said it has made a routine update to the Taiwan section of its Web site, after the removal of previous wording that it did not support Taiwan’s formal independence, among other changes that cheered the government in Taipei.
The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington’s opposition to unilateral change to the “status quo” from either Taiwan or from China.
However, 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 US would support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations “where applicable.”
Photo: Reuters
The update to the Web site came about three weeks after US President Donald Trump was sworn in to his second term in the White House.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday took issue with the revision.
The US has “gravely backpedaled” on its position on Taiwan and sent the wrong message to “separatist forces” there, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said.
“We urge the US to ... stop emboldening and supporting Taiwan independence and avoid further damaging China-US relations and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” Guo said when asked about the revision at a daily media briefing in Beijing.
In response to media queries, a US State Department spokesperson in an e-mail sent late on Sunday said that “as is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan.”
“The United States remains committed to its one China policy,” the spokesperson said, referring to Washington’s 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-trait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait,” the spokesperson added.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Sunday welcomed the revision, expressing his appreciation for the “support and positive stance on US-Taiwan relations.”
Additional reporting by AP
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