Taiwan expressed approval after the State Department removed a statement on its website that said it does not support the island’s independence.
The phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” was removed from a department fact sheet last week. The document, which highlights U.S. relations with Taiwan, is posted on the State Department’s website.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Taiwan’s government welcomed the move but didn’t specifically mention the language.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that the U.S. State Department updated the ‘Current State of U.S.-Taiwan Relations’ page … with text that is positive and friendly toward us, reflecting the close and amicable partnership between Taiwan and the United States,” the statement said.
While the U.S. is seen as a major ally to Taiwan, it does not formally recognize the island as a separate state from the mainland. China holds the belief that the land is part of its territory and has vowed to consolidate it by using force, if necessary.
China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the change to the State Department fact sheet.
“We urge the U.S. to … stop emboldening and supporting Taiwan independence and avoid further damaging China-U.S. relations and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said when asked about the revision at a daily media briefing, according to the AP.
The State Department briefly removed the phrase from its website in May 2022, but it was restored a few weeks later after China protested, the AP reported.
It’s not known why the phrase was removed recently or if policy will change under the Trump administration.
As President Trump looks to reshape international trade through his reciprocal tariff plan, Taiwan has pledged to communicate and invest more with the U.S. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said he would work more collaboratively over Trump’s concerns with the chip industry.
The Hill has reached out to the State Department for more information.
