US does ‘not support Taiwan independence’, secretary of state says in China visit

A top US official said America will not support Taiwan breaking away from China.

During a high-stakes visit to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the country’s support for the One China policy.

‘We do not support Taiwan independence,’ said Blinken in Beijing on Monday after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping.

‘We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. We continue to expect the peaceful resolution of cross strait differences.

‘We remain committed to continuing our responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act including making sure Taiwan has the ability to defend itself.’

Taiwan is a self-ruling island and sees itself as distinct from mainland China. Meanwhile, China views Taiwan as a rebel province and has threatened to annex it.

Still, Blinken addressed US concerns around rising tensions along the Taiwan Strait stemming from disagreements over the island. Earlier this month, a Chinese warship came close to hitting a US destroyer.

‘At the same time, we and many others have deep concerns about some of the provocative actions that China has taken in recent years going back to 2016,’ Blinken said from the US Embassy in Beijing.

‘And the reason that this is a concern for so many countries, not just the United States, is that were there to be a crisis over Taiwan, the likelihood is that could produce an economic crisis that could affect quite literally the entire world.’

Blinken spoke to clarify the US government’s position on Taiwan after rather confusing remarks by President Joe Biden on the topic. Biden has suggested a couple of times that the US would defend Taiwan if it is invaded by China, enraging Beijing. Biden’s aides at the time stepped in to say he had misspoken.

Biden on Saturday told reporters he hopes to ‘over the next several months I’ll be meeting Xi again’ to ‘legitimate differences we have but also… areas we can get along’.

Blinken met with Xi after sitting down with Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang and top diplomat Wang Yi over the weekend. He is the first US secretary of state to visit China in five years.

After Blinken met with the foreign minister on Sunday, the state department said the talks were ‘candid, substantive, and constructive’.

On Monday, Xi stated that both countries have ‘made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues’, according to a readout from the US State Department.

Blinken stated that ‘President Biden asked me to travel to Beijing because he believes that the United States and China have an obligation and responsibility to manage our relationship’.

‘The United States is committed to doing that,’ Blinken said.

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