TAIPEI, Taiwan – China urged the United States on Monday to “correct its mistakes” after it removed wording on a State Department website stating that it did not support Taiwan independence. The U.S. brushed off the change as an update.
The State Department’s latest “fact sheet” for Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, used to include the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence,” but that was dropped on Thursday.
The State Department also modified a passage in the fact sheet to suggest broader support for Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations, by dropping the words “where statehood is not a requirement.”
It added that Taiwan’s dispute with China should be resolved “free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.”
“As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” said its spokesperson, as cited by Reuters news agency.
The spokesperson added that the U.S. remained committed to its “One China Policy,” which acknowledges China’s position that there is only one Chinese government, and “preserving the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the revisions were a “big step backwards” that “sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
“The U.S. State Department updated its fact sheet on relations with Taiwan and gravely backpeddled on its position on Taiwan-related issues. Its move severely violated the one-China principle,” Guo told a regular briefing in Beijing.
“This is yet another example of the United States’ stubborn adherence to the erroneous policy of ‘using Taiwan to suppress China.’ We urge the United States side to immediately rectify its mistakes,” said Guo.
Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, operates as a self-governing democracy but is formally recognized by only a small number of countries.
However, it maintains unofficial diplomatic relations with much of the international community, including the U.S.
Although Taipei functions as a de facto independent state, it has never officially declared independence from Beijing, which has warned that such a declaration would trigger military action.
Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is committed to assisting Taiwan to defend itself but it has long maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
Even subtle shifts in how U.S. officials refer to Taiwan are closely monitored by both Beijing and Taipei.
‘Message’ to China
Chen Fang-Yu, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Taiwan’s Soochow University, said he believed the change to the reference was a message from the U.S. to China that U.S.-Taiwan relations were determined by Washington not Beijing.
“While the presence or absence of this phrase in the State Department’s statements may not be critical on its own, its removal is important because China has long used the Clinton-era ‘the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence’ stance for its propaganda,” said Chen, referring to the former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s administration.
In 1998, Clinton explicitly stated a “Three No’s” policy: no support for Taiwan independence, no recognition of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” and no support for Taiwan’s membership in international organizations requiring statehood.
“Now that the phrase is gone, China can no longer manipulate it for its narrative,” Chen added.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the State Department’s “positive and friendly” update as a sign of the “close and friendly Taiwan-U.S. partnership.”
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung also thanked the U.S. for its “support and positive stance on U.S.-Taiwan relations” and “commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan-US economic, trade, and technology partnership and Taiwan’s international space.”
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Japan also makes a Taiwan change
Separately, Japan, one of the closest U.S. allies in Asia, said it would allow Taiwanese citizens to list their nationality or home region as “Taiwan” instead of “China” on household registries from May.
After Japan severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1972, both Taiwanese and Chinese people were classified under “China” as Japan at the time rejected both “People’s Republic of China” – China’s official name – and “Republic of China”, for political reasons.
Under the new rule, however, Japan will use “nationality/region” instead of country names, aligning with its residence certificates and cards, and it will allow individuals to change to “Taiwan.”
While foreigners are generally not included on household registrations unless they naturalize or are adopted, their nationality is recorded if they marry a Japanese citizen. The change allows Taiwanese spouses of Japanese people to have “Taiwan” listed in official records.
Taiwanese people have long urged the Japanese government to allow Taiwan to be recorded, emphasizing the importance of preserving their identity. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior, up to 1,000 Taiwanese people marry Japanese citizens every year.
In response, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson urged Japan to uphold the “One China” principle.
“Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory, and people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese,” Guo said.
“We urge Japan to uphold the ‘One China’ principle and the spirit of the four key China-Japan political documents, refrain from making petty moves on the Taiwan issue, and avoid sending contradictory and erroneous signals,” referring to agreements that shape diplomatic relations between Beijing and Tokyo, including the 1972 Joint Communiqué, which established diplomatic ties, with Japan recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China.
Edited by Mike Firn.