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China's Xi Asks Biden to Change Taiwan Independence Language, Sources Say

Since the meeting, Xi's aides have asked for this change again and again. But U.S. officials have said no.

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President Xi Jinping asked President Biden to change how the U.S. talks about Taiwan independence, but the U.S. says it won’t change its words.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with U.S. President Joe Biden about Taiwan. Xi asked Biden to change how the U.S. describes Taiwan's independence. This conversation happened during a meeting near San Francisco in November.

During the meeting, Xi and his team wanted Biden to say, "We oppose Taiwan independence." Right now, the U.S. says it "does not support" Taiwan becoming independent. This is a small change, but it is important for both countries.

Since the meeting, Xi's aides have asked for this change again and again. But U.S. officials have said no. The White House repeated that it does not support Taiwan's independence and follows a long-standing One China policy.

China's foreign ministry responded by saying, "You should ask this question to the U.S. government. China's position on Taiwan is clear." Taiwan's government did not comment on the issue.

Taiwan is officially called the Republic of China. The Republic of China government moved to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to the communists in China. They believe they are an independent state and do not plan to change their name. However, China claims Taiwan is part of its territory.

The topic of Taiwan is very sensitive for the U.S. and China. For many years, Chinese diplomats have pushed the U.S. to change how it talks about Taiwan. Xi’s recent request is more direct than before.

In 1979, the U.S. stopped formal relations with Taiwan but is required by law to help Taiwan defend itself. China has been increasing its military presence around Taiwan in recent years.

It is not clear why Xi brought up Taiwan independence with Biden, but he has made it a priority during his time in office. The Biden administration thinks that changing the wording is not a good idea.

Taiwan has been kept in the loop about what the U.S. is saying. A senior U.S. official mentioned that leaders in China would like Biden to use different words about Taiwan. However, Biden plans to keep using the same language.

Recently, Biden hinted that the U.S. might help defend Taiwan if it were attacked. This statement surprised many and was different from how the U.S. usually talks about the issue.

If the U.S. were to say it opposes Taiwan's independence, it could change things in the Asia-Pacific region. Other governments in the area might think that the U.S. is supporting China more than Taiwan during this time of rising tension.

Over the past five years, China has been doing military drills around Taiwan almost every day. Recently, they used a record number of aircraft—153—in exercises that practiced blockades and attacks.

Many people in Taiwan want to keep things the way they are now. They do not want to join China or become a new country. In 2022, the U.S. State Department changed its website about Taiwan, removing statements about not supporting independence. This made China upset, but the U.S. later changed it back.

Biden and Xi are expected to talk again before Biden's term ends in January. They may talk on the phone or at the G20 summit in Brazil or the APEC summit in Peru. Both Taiwan and China are part of APEC, so these meetings are important.

As the November 5 election approaches, the Taiwan issue will eventually be handed over to the next president, who could be either Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican former President Donald Trump. The situation with Taiwan is very important in U.S.-China relations, and it will be interesting to see how future leaders handle it.

 

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