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China Criticises US Move to Drop Line on Website Stating It Does Not Back Taiwan Independence
The Straits Times
|February 18, 2025
China on Feb 17 urged America to "correct its mistakes" after the US State Department removed previous wording on its website about not supporting Taiwan independence, which it said was part of a routine update.
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BEIJING/TAIPEI -
The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own.
But as well as dropping the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence", the page added a reference to Taiwan's cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the US will support Taiwan's membership in international organisations "where applicable".
Beijing regularly denounces any international recognition of Taiwan or contact between Taiwanese and foreign officials, viewing it as encouraging Taiwan's separate status from China.
The update to the website came roughly three weeks after US President Donald Trump was sworn in to his second term in the White House.
This story is from the February 18, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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