US does not support Taiwan independence, says President Joe Biden
Newswire
Washington: US President Joe Biden said this week that the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term.
Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks.
“We do not support independence,” Biden said, when asked for a reaction to Saturday’s elections.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has long said it does not support a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan.
It maintains unofficial relations with the self-governed island and remains its most important backer and arms supplier.
Beijing, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, fears that Lai could declare the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Lai has said he will not do.
Biden has previously upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the United States would defend the island if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held US position of “strategic ambiguity”.
His comments on Saturday appear to be an effort to reassure Beijing. Even so, Washington warned just hours ahead of the polls opening that “it would be unacceptable” for any country to interfere in the election.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his victory and said the United States “is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure”.
He said the US looks forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance their “longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the US’ One China policy”.
The Biden administration has feared that the election, transition and new administration would escalate conflict with Beijing.
Biden has worked to smooth relations with China, including agreeing to talk through differences on security matters at a California summit with President Xi Jinping in November.
Taiwan’s government expects China to attempt to put pressure on its incoming president after the vote, including staging military manoeuvres near the island this spring, two senior government officials said.
Former US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will arrive in Taipei on Sunday for post-election meetings with Taiwanese politicians, the de facto US embassy in Taipei said.
The delegation sent by Biden’s administration will hold talks with “a range of leading political figures” on Monday, the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement.
China was angered in 2016 when then-president-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, the first such conversation between US and Taiwan leaders since president Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979.
