Beijing condemned the US State Department for revising a fact sheet outlining US-Taiwan relations.
Following the State Department’s removal of language stating its opposition to Taiwanese independence from its website, China demanded a correction. Washington characterized the alteration as a standard update.
The revised “fact sheet” on the self-governing island, published Thursday, omitted the previous statement, “we do not support Taiwan independence.”
China views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory under its One-China policy, advocating for eventual reunification, even by force if necessary. It consistently opposes any foreign intervention, including US arms sales to Taiwan, considering them violations of its sovereignty and destabilizing factors in the region.
Furthermore, the updated fact sheet emphasized Taipei’s technological and semiconductor collaboration with the Pentagon. It also reaffirmed US support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations “where applicable,” removing the phrase “where statehood is not a requirement.”
At a Monday press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called the revisions a “major setback,” asserting that they “send a dangerously misleading message to Taiwan independence separatists.”
Guo declared the move a grave breach of the One-China principle, claiming the US State Department has significantly retreated from its previous stance on Taiwan-related matters.
“This exemplifies the United States’ persistent and erroneous policy of ‘using Taiwan to contain China’. We urge the United States to immediately rectify these errors,” Guo stated.
While officially adhering to the One-China policy, the US continues to supply arms to Taiwan and engage in military cooperation with Taipei.
“As is standard practice, the fact sheet was updated to reflect our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters, reiterating Washington’s “commitment to its One-China policy.”
“We oppose any unilateral alterations to the status quo by either side,” the spokesperson added.
Taiwan has governed independently since 1949, when Nationalist forces relocated there after losing the Chinese Civil War. Only a few nations currently recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty; most of the world, including Russia, aligns with Beijing’s view that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China.