The U.S. State Department has deleted the phrase from the site stating that it does not support Taiwan independence. The revised material, published on Thursday, keeps Washington in disagreement with unilateral actions by Taiwan or China but drops the line “we do not support Taiwan independence.” It is replaced by language on Taiwan’s partnership with American initiatives such as Pentagon-supported technology and semiconductor investment. It also has a fresh mention of the U.S. backing Taiwan’s participation in international bodies “where applicable.”
The revamp has been welcomed by Taiwan‘s government, with Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcoming the U.S. position regarding the deepening of U.S.-Taiwan ties. The U.S. maintains opposition to any single-sided alteration of the status quo, with the website highlighting the need to settle cross-Strait disagreements peacefully, without coercion, and in a solution that is mutually acceptable.
This is not a new adjustment, since the same language was removed in 2022 before being brought back a month later. Taiwan does not buy into China’s assertions of sovereignty, maintaining that only the Taiwanese people have the right to determine the future of the island, and it remains an independent state, the Republic of China.The U.S. is not formally allied with Taiwan, but it is its strongest international ally, legally obligated to assist the island in defending itself.
Regardless of the continued animosity with China, the U.S. has been a regular supporter of Taiwan, as was seen in the transit of American Navy vessels last week through the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s own announcement that another Canadian warship, the Ottawa, passed through the strait on Sunday. China, which regularly bullies Taiwan militarily, did not comment on questions regarding the State Department shifts, the Canadian warship’s actions, or heightened military presence close to Taiwan.
