Blinken Says No to Taiwan Independence

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. does not support Taiwanese independence during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Speaking to media at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Blinken recounted his meetings with top Chinese diplomats and Xi. Blinken said he assured the Chinese that the U.S. is standing by its “One China” policy.

The One China policy stretches back to 1979 when the U.S. derecognized the Republic of China (ROC) and recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The ROC was the former nationalist government of China that fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War to the PRC. Both governments laid claim to all of China.

Since 1979, Taiwan has become a democratic nation and has developed a national conscious separate from mainland China. Mainland China has grown into a global superpower and economic powerhouse.

The United States, however, has officially maintained the One China policy and a diplomatic posture of “strategic ambiguity.” Strategic ambiguity is a policy in which a government is intentionally ambiguous on a foreign policy matter to maintain flexibility.

However, rising tensions between the U.S. and China have strained the former policy. President Joe Biden has repeatedly committed to militarily defending Taiwan if the PRC attempts to recapture the island nation by force.

Secretary of State Blinken’s statement that “The U.S. does not support Taiwan’s independence” seemed to conflict with the president’s rhetorical telegraphing and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s pronouncements during her controversial visit to the island in 2022.

Taiwan is considered strategically vital because of its proximity to major global shipping routes and its monopoly on advanced chip manufacturing, necessary for most electronic devices and motor vehicles. Both China and the U.S. have a vested interest in influencing or controlling the island, making it a geopolitical flashpoint.

While Blinken’s remarks were widely considered an attempt at diplomatic rapprochement, it remains to be seen if tensions in the Taiwan Straits will cool or develop into a potential military conflict.