Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the United States support for the “One China” policy, emphasizing that the U.S. does not back Taiwanese independence. Following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Blinken stated in a press conference on Monday, “We do not support Taiwan independence. We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.” He further expressed the U.S.’ commitment to the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences and the defense of Taiwan as per the Taiwan Relations Act.
Blinken also voiced concerns about China’s provocative actions in recent years, highlighting that these actions have global implications. He emphasized that a crisis over Taiwan could lead to an economic catastrophe, as the Taiwan Strait sees 50% of commercial container traffic and hosts 70% of semiconductor manufacturing. Such a crisis could have significant consequences for countries worldwide.
Tensions between China and the United States regarding Taiwan have escalated recently. Taiwan’s air force scrambled fighter jets in response to ten Chinese aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for the second time in a matter of days. The U.S. military released video footage of a close encounter between a Chinese navy ship and an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait. Furthermore, there have been several instances of close calls between Chinese and U.S. military aircraft, including a recent air intercept by a Chinese fighter jet in the South China Sea.
China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out annexing it by force. While the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China, it maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan.
Blinken acknowledged the challenges in the U.S.-China relationship, emphasizing the need for diplomacy in managing the complex issues between the two nations. He characterized his recent trip as a positive step, revealing that Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had agreed to visit Washington, D.C. at a suitable time in the future.
Despite the positive developments, China did not agree to establish a crisis military-to-military communications channel, which had been one of the U.S.’ goals for the meeting.
Blinken also addressed the economic relationship between the U.S. and China, emphasizing that trade between the two nations exceeded $700 billion over the past year, the highest level on record. He echoed U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent testimony that severing all trade and investment with China would be disastrous. Instead, the U.S. aims to de-risk and diversify, invest in domestic capacities, ensure fair competition, protect critical technologies, and take targeted actions to safeguard national security.
BREAKING: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken gives China the green light to invade Taiwan during his visit to Beijing, China.
“We do not support Taiwan independence.”
What a pivot from Biden’s previous comments from just months ago. What happened?
“Yes, if in fact, there was… pic.twitter.com/gyAp8TPxrW
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 19, 2023
