The Blubber

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has stated that the United States will not support Taiwan's attempt to separate from China, addressing the issue amidst a series of conflicting statements made by President Joe Biden.

After a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Blinken emphasized America's stance by saying, "We do not support Taiwan independence," and added that they remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.

Taiwan perceives itself as distinct from mainland China, operating with its own constitution and elected leaders, while Beijing considers it a renegade province. Blinken's remarks followed Biden's departure from the longstanding One China policy, wherein the president twice suggested that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, which provoked anger from Beijing. Biden's aides were compelled to retract these comments, attributing them to misspeaking.

The meeting between Blinken and Xi at the Great Hall of the People marked the highest-level visit by a US official to Beijing in nearly five years. During the discussions, Xi expressed his desire for Blinken's visit to have a positive impact on improving relations between Beijing and Washington, emphasizing that state-to-state interactions should be based on mutual respect and sincerity.

Xi stressed that China respects US interests and does not seek to challenge or replace the United States, asserting the need for a stable China-US relationship.