China Furious After State Dept Changes Line On 'Taiwan Independence'
Tyler Durden's Photo
by Tyler Durden
Monday, Feb 17, 2025
China is furious after a State Department fact sheet on Taiwan has been updated. The new updated version has dropped a line which previously stated "we do not support Taiwan independence."
The State Department has downplayed it as a "routine" update to its online fact sheet on American relations with Taiwan. The change happened last week, but has now triggered a strong rebuke from Beijing, which fears Washington is changing its official long-running policy of not officially endorsing effots toward Taiwan political independence and sovereignty.
The fact sheet still displays a US commitment to 'One China' - but still the Chinese Foreign Ministry has on Monday called on the Trump administration to "immediately correct its mistakes" over the removal of the line.
The statement from Beijing warned of "further serious damage" to China-US relations amid a return of Trump's 'America First' policy.
"The US State Department’s revision of the list of facts regarding US-Taiwan relations represents a serious regression in its stance on Taiwan…(and) sends a seriously erroneous message to the separatist forces advocating for Taiwan independence," ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a briefing.
"This is further evidence of the US stubbornly adhering to the erroneous policy of using Taiwan to contain China. We urge the US to immediately correct its mistakes," Guo added, and emphasized Trump must handle the Taiwan issue with "utmost caution."
As for the updated State Dept. page, it states that "We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side."
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-furious-after-state-dept-changes-line-taiwan-independence