Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. does not support Taiwan’s independence after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.
Blinken was in Beijing to warm U.S. relations with China, which have become strained in recent years over several issues, including Taiwan
“We do not support Taiwan independence,” Blinken said at a press conference after his meeting with the Chinese president in Beijing. “We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.”
The Secretary of State met with President Xi for about 35 minutes at the Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square.
The U.S. maintains informal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Blinken added that the U.S. remains committed to its responsibility under the Taiwan Relations Act, which includes “making sure Taiwan has the ability to defend itself.”
U.S. relations with China have deteriorated in the last few years. Topics that have strained the relationship include Taiwan, China’s close relationship with Russia, a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the U.S., and data security concerns with the Chinese app TikTok.
Meanwhile, there have been several close encounters recently between U.S. and Chinese military ships and aircraft.
President Xi said, “This is very good,” reportedly referring to the progress made during the meeting.