Taipei [Taiwan], February 16 The Taiwanese government has welcomed US move of removing from the website of the US State Department that it does not support Taiwanese independence, Taipei Times reported.
The Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, produced by the department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, previously stated that the US opposes "any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means."
In the updated version published on Thursday, the line stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence had been removed, the Taiwanese publication reported.
The updated paragraph now reads: "We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait."
As per the Taipei Times, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said the changes were part of routine updates. "As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan," an AIT spokesperson said in an e-mailed response.
"We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We support cross-strait dialogue, and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait," the spokesperson said as per the report in the Taiwanese daily.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanked the US State Department for reaffirming support toward Taiwan with "positive, Taiwan-friendly wordings."
Lin thanked US President Donald Trump's administration for continuing to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act and "six assurances" to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities, economic and societal resilience, and enhance cross-strait peace and stability, the statement said.
Since ending official relations with Taiwan (the Republic of China) and switching diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979, the U.S. government has continually reiterated its position of not supporting Taiwanese independence as per the Central News Agency of Taiwan (CNA).
As per CNA, the last time the same fact sheet cut the lines on the U.S. not supporting Taiwanese independence was in May 2022 under former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. But the line was later reinstated about a month later following protests from the PRC, which considers Taiwan as part of its territory.
Meanwhile, China's military has accused the United States of engaging in risky behaviour in the Taiwan Strait after two US naval ships transited the international waterway.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said it had monitored the movements of the USS Ralph Johnson, a naval destroyer, and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship, as they moved through the waterway between Monday and Wednesday, the Al Jazeera reported.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor