In a clear provocation, the State Department last week removed from its Taiwan Bilateral Relations fact sheet the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence.” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly welcomed the change, noting coyly that the State Department had “updated” its fact sheet “with text that is positive and friendly toward us reflecting the close and amicable partnership between Taiwan and the United States,” The Hill reported today. The State Department denied the text change represented any change in policy, but was only a “routine” updating.
China responded harshly. Zhu Felglian, of the State Council on Taiwan Affairs Office, charged that the removal of the phrase was a “serious regression in the U.S. position on the Taiwan question” as well as “violent” interference in China’s internal affairs, Global Times reported. He called on the U.S. to immediately correct this “wrongdoing.” At today’s Foreign Ministry briefing, spokesman Guo Jiakun went further. “History cannot be tampered with, facts cannot be denied, and truth cannot be distorted,” he replied to a question. “The U.S. State Department updated its fact sheet on relations with Taiwan and gravely backpedaled on its position on Taiwan-related issues.