Chinese President Xi Jinping last year asked US President Joe Biden to change the language the US was using when discussing its stance on Taiwan independence, according to Reuters.
During a meeting between the two leaders near San Francisco last November, Xi and his aides asked Biden and his team to change the wording of official US statements, according to two US officials familiar with the private conversation.
Xi’s aides reportedly requested that Washington stated “we oppose Taiwan independence” instead of the current language, in which the US “does not support” independence for Taiwan. However, the US refused to amend it, reiterating that the White House did not support Taiwan independence.
The Biden-Harris administration has been consistent on our long-standing One China policy.
The defeated government of the Republic of China fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong’s communists. The Republic of China remains the official name of Taiwan, with the government saying it has no plans to change it, as it is already a sovereign, independent state and Beijing has no right to claim Taiwan as its property.
Sensitive issue
The self-governing island remains the most sensitive area in US-China relations. The United States severed formal ties with the Taipei government in 1979, but is legally obliged to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
Xi made opposition to Taiwanese independence a major focus of his tenure in power, with the Chinese military significantly stepping up its activities around the island in recent years. During his time as US president, Biden upset the Chinese government with comments that seemed to suggest his country would defend the island in the event of an attack.
China has been conducting military operations around Taiwan on an almost daily basis for the past five years. Earlier this month, Beijing held a day of war games, deploying what Taiwan says was a record 153 warplanes in drills simulating port blockades and attacks on sea and land targets.
Meanwhile, opinion polls in Taiwan show that most people favour maintaining the status quo, seeking neither unification with China nor the creation of a new state.
The US and Chinese leaders are expected to discuss the language again before Biden’s term ends in January. The talks could take place by phone or on the sidelines of next month’s G20 summit in Brazil or the APEC summit in Peru.
After the 5 November election, Democratic president Biden will hand over the tense Taiwan issue to his successor, Democratic vice president Kamala Harris or former Republican president Donald Trump.
