Xi Jinping is urging the US to officially 'oppose' Taiwan independence, a significant diplomatic demand. Photo / Getty Images
Chinese President Xi Jinping is renewing a push for the US to change a decades-old phrase describing its stance on Taiwan independence, a concession that would be a major diplomatic win for Beijing.
China has asked the Trump administration to officially declare that it “opposes” Taiwan independence, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.
The suggested wording is stronger than the Biden administration’s previous statement that US officials “do not support” the self-ruled island seeking formal independence, and would add to China’s campaign to isolate Taiwan on the world stage. The Wall Street Journal first reported the request.
The Trump administration has not made a decision regarding the demand, and it’s one in a long list of asks from the Chinese side under consideration, according to a separate person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. A State Department fact sheet on US ties with Taiwan is currently unavailable on its website.
Language defining the US relationship with Taiwan has long been a sensitive subject. In February, after the State Department abruptly removed from its website a phrase saying the US does “not support Taiwan independence,” Beijing swiftly urged Washington to “correct its wrongdoings”. Prior to that, the Biden administration removed the phrase in May 2022 but reinstated it after Chinese officials protested.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s position on Taiwan when asked on Monday at a regular briefing in Beijing about the Chinese request. “Upholding the ‘one China principle’ absolutely entails opposing Taiwanese independence,” he said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei said Taipei “continues to closely monitor Beijing’s manipulative narratives, while maintaining smooth and close communication with the US and other partner countries”.
The US position on Taiwan hasn’t changed and the US remains committed to the One China policy, the State Department said in a statement Monday. The statement said the US has long-stated opposition to any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, and that China’s actions remain the single greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Any change in wording will fan concerns that Washington’s position on the self-ruled democracy, which Beijing considers a part of its territory, is becoming a trade war bargaining chip. In an abrupt policy reversal, Trump already put on the negotiating table some tech curbs imposed on China over national security concerns.
“The significance is less about an imminent US policy change and more about Beijing testing Washington’s resolve on wording it sees as central to its position,” according to Craig Singleton, senior director of the China programme at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
China repeatedly raised this rhetorical shift with the Biden administration, which refused to comply, he added: “The fact it’s being raised again is consistent with Beijing’s incremental strategy: pocket small wins and then push for more.”
The discussions come as President Donald Trump and Xi prepare for an expected meeting at an upcoming summit in South Korea, where they’ll continue to hash out the terms of a broader deal. As those negotiations drag on, Washington still hasn’t signed a trade deal with global chip hub Taiwan, despite at least four rounds of negotiations.
Underscoring the sensitivities, Trump appears to be balancing efforts to maintain cordial ties with Taiwan with not disrupting dialogue with Xi. In July, US officials denied Taiwan President Lai Ching-te permission to transit through New York, after China raised objections with Washington about the visit. That hesitation unnerved some officials in the US, who fear Trump may concede too much to Beijing, people familiar with the matter said when the trip was cancelled.
Since President Richard Nixon broke formal ties with Taipei to establish relations with Beijing in the 1970s, the US has adopted a “one-China policy” that leaves Taiwan’s sovereignty undetermined. For decades, Washington has adopted “strategic ambiguity” over whether US forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack.
Taiwan is one of the biggest flashpoints in China’s relationship with the US, which is already fraught over issues such as trade, technology transfers and human rights. Washington is Taipei’s biggest military backer, though Trump has suggested the island should have to pay for protection.
Since Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party won power in 2016, the Chinese Government has ramped up its global message that the self-ruled democracy is an “inalienable part” of the People’s Republic of China. Such efforts are paying off, according to the Lowy Institute, which found more governments in developing countries have subscribed to Beijing’s version of that narrative.
Beijing would portray any change to the US’ official language as an erosion of its support for Taiwan and the ruling DPP, said Sarah Beran, a former senior National Security Council official in the Biden administration handling China and Taiwan issues.
“Washington should have a high bar for a change like this – demanding a verifiable, measurable reduction in Chinese military activity around the island that would meaningfully shore up cross-strait peace,” added Beran, who is now a partner at Macro Advisory Partners.
With assistance from Jing Li, Michelle Jamrisko, Colum Murphy and James Mayger.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.