Image for representational purposes. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The wording on Taiwan independence was also removed in 2022, before being restored a month later.. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. State Department has removed a statement on its website that it does not support Taiwan independence, among changes that the island’s government praised on Sunday (February 16, 2025) as supporting Taiwan.

The fact sheet on Taiwan retains Washington’s opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own.

But as well as dropping the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence”, the page has added a reference to Taiwan’s cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the U.S. will support Taiwan’s membership in international organisations “where applicable”.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side,” the State Department website reads in the update posted on Thursday, February 13, 2025. “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 (Taiwan) Strait.”

“Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung “welcomed the support and positive stance on U.S.-Taiwan relations demonstrated in the relevant content” of the website,” his ministry said in a statement on Sunday, February 16, 2025.

The State Department and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside office hours.

The language changes were first reported by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The wording on Taiwan independence was also removed in 2022, before being restored a month later.

Taiwan’s Government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future. Taiwan says it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name.

Beijing describes Taiwan as its “core of core interests”, regularly denouncing any shows of support for Taipei from Washington.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has unnerved Taiwan since taking office last month with criticism of Taiwan’s dominance in making semiconductors, his administration has otherwise offered strong words of support for Taiwan.

Last week, the first U.S. Navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait since Trump’s inauguration.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a separate statement that a Canadian warship, the Ottawa, had sailed through the strait on Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Canada’s Department of National Defence did not respond to a request for comment.

Taiwan has faced stepped-up military pressure from Beijing, including almost daily forays by Chinese warplanes and warships into the waters and skies around the island.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said that on Sunday (February 16, 2025) it had detected 24 Chinese military aircraft carrying out a “joint combat readiness patrol” along with Chinese warships around Taiwan.

China’s Defence Ministry did not answer calls seeking comment on the State Department website, the Canadian warship or the renewed military activity.

Washington:

China has escalated its counter-offensive against the United States by intensifying its sanctions on American defence firms. In less than a week, Beijing today announced a second round of sanctions on ten US companies. The reason – sale of arms to Taiwan.

With this, China has, in total, sanctioned or penalised 45 US entities – 17 firms and 28 entities – over varying degrees of penalties. While 17 firms have been sanctioned, 28 others have been penalised by adding them to an export ban list.

Among those sanctioned today are some of the biggest defence manufacturers globally – subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics.

In a statement issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce, all ten US firms have been added to Beijing’s “Unreliable entities list” for “participating in selling of arms to Taiwan”. It further stated that these companies will henceforth “be prohibited from all import and export activities” in the country. Neither will they be allowed to invest in China.

Their senior management has been banned from entering the country too, the Chinese government said. The latest action against US corporations come just six days after seven other companies were sanctioned in a similar manner. Among those were a subsidiary of Boeing Defense named Insitu.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is a flashpoint between Beijing and Washington. Beijing claims the entire island-nation as a part of China. Taiwan considers itself an independent nations. While China is a communist country, Taiwan is a democracy.

China has not ruled out the use of force to take over the country. Even in his New Year’s eve address to the nation, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued threat over Taiwan and cautioned anyone who tries to stop that.

China has also carried out three rounds of major military drills since Taiwan’s democratic election saw President Lai Ching-te come to power in May.

ALSO READ: XI JINPING’S THREAT AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHINA AND TAIWAN

For Washington, Taiwan is a strategic ally in Asia and United States is Taipei’s largest supplier of weapons too. Defending democracy over communism has also been a principled decision of the United States – the Cold War with Russia was entirely based on this principled stand.

Showing its commitment towards defending Taiwan, US President Joe Biden had given his nod for a $571 million defence aid to Taiwan less than a month ago.

While both China and Taiwan claim sovereignty over the island nation, Beijing has said “such actions (by US firms) interfere in China’s internal affairs, and undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Besides the sanctions, China has also penalised 28 US entities, mostly defence companies, by adding them to its Export Control List, banning the export of dual-use items to them permanently.

General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Boeing Defense, Space & Security were among those added “to safeguard national security and interests, and fulfil international obligations such as non-proliferation”, the ministry said.

(Inputs from AFP)
 

In this photo released by the Taiwan Coast Guard, Taiwan Coast Guard vessel Ji An, at right, chases after Chinese Coast Guard vessel 1302 off the coast of Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signalling the end of a massive maritime exercise, Taiwanese authorities said Friday.

Taiwan’s coast guard released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past the island on Thursday, on their way to China.

“All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, thus, although they haven’t officially made any announcement, we consider it over,” Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan’s coast guard, told AFP.

Beijing has not confirmed the drills and its defence ministry did not say whether the manoeuvres had taken place when asked at a press conference on Friday.

But ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that “whether or not we hold exercises, and when we hold them, are decided by us alone, based on our own needs and the circumstances of our struggle”, according to an official social media account of the armed forces.

“Safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and the common interests of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are the (military’s) sacred duties,” Wu said.

“No matter whether it holds exercises, the People’s Liberation Army will not be absent or soft-hearted when it comes to striking down (Taiwanese) ‘independence’ and pushing for unification,” he said, referring to the Chinese armed forces.

Taiwanese authorities said this week that Beijing’s biggest maritime drills in years stretched from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea.

About 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels took part in the exercises, which included simulating attacks on foreign ships and practising blockading sea routes, a Taiwan security official said Wednesday.

There was no announcement by Beijing’s army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean.

However, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent visit to the United States and a call with US House Speaker Mike Johnson sparked fury in Beijing.

While Taiwan regards itself as a sovereign nation, China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of it.

China’s massive maritime operation

The Taiwan security official said China began planning the massive maritime operation in October and aimed to demonstrate it could choke off Taiwan while also drawing a “red line” ahead of the next US administration.

As Chinese ships returned to China on Thursday, Taiwan’s military and coast guard closed emergency response centres set up in response to the huge maritime mobilisation.

“The nine ships went back to Chinese ports last night in two groups,” Hsieh said of vessels that had been in waters to the southeast and southwest of Taiwan.

A defence ministry spokeswoman said Friday that Chinese warships and coast guard vessels had been detected returning to China.

The de facto US embassy in Taiwan said Thursday it was monitoring “with concern” Beijing’s military activity near the island and in the region.

A US military patrol plane flew south to north over the sensitive waters separating Taiwan and China on Friday morning, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.

Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty.

China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion.

The latest exercise exceeded Beijing’s maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in 2022, the security official said. Those war games were China’s largest ever around Taiwan.

People participate in the “Stand up as Taiwan” rally in Taipei, Taiwan December 8, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Taiwan’s military was on high alert on Monday (December 9, 2024) after detecting Chinese warships near the island, Taipei said, as it prepared for likely drills by Beijing in response to President Lai Ching-te’s U.S. visits.

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry said it also spotted Chinese coast guard vessels and that Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had restricted the airspace off the Chinese coast.

There has been intense speculation about the possibility of China launching military exercises in response to Mr. Lai’s trip to the Pacific last week which included stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.

“In response to these actions by the PLA, the MND has initiated combat readiness drills, factoring in enemy threats, weather conditions, and tactical positioning,” the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei said in a statement.

It added that military units were on “high” alert and those on outlying islands had “heightened their vigilance”.

The ministry said its forces had “identified PLA Eastern, Northern, and Southern Theater Command naval formations, along with Coast Guard vessels, entering areas around the Taiwan Strait and the Western Pacific”.

There was no immediate public announcement by the PLA or Chinese state media about increased military activity around Taiwan.

However, a Beijing Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said China would “firmly defend” its sovereignty, as Taiwan kicked off its drills.

Taiwan regards itself as a sovereign nation with its own government, military, and currency.

But Beijing insists the island is part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control.

Mr. Lai spoke with Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Guam on Thursday — the highest-level U.S. contact the Taiwanese leader had during a week-long trip — which drew a barrage of criticism from Beijing.

China’s Foreign Ministry warned Taiwan on Friday that “seeking independence with the help of the United States will inevitably hit a wall”, and called on Washington to “cease meddling in Taiwan-related affairs”.

In response to a question about possible Chinese military drills around Taiwan following his trip, Mr. Lai told reporters on Friday that “raising your fists is not as good as opening your hands”.

“No matter how many military exercises, warships and aircraft China sends to coerce neighbouring countries, it cannot win the respect of any country,” Lai said.

‘Unusual movements’

Taiwan’s coast guard said on Monday it had detected “unusual movements” of seven Chinese coast guard ships since early Friday — the day Mr. Lai returned to Taipei.

The Beijing Army’s airspace restrictions east of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces were expected to be in place until Wednesday, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said.

“Any unilateral, irrational acts of provocation could severely undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and are unwelcome by the international community,” the ministry said.

It added that the PLA’s “recent activities near Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan have introduced risks and uncertainties to regional security”.

Japan’s Defence Ministry said on Monday it had detected over the weekend a Chinese navy missile destroyer, frigate and “information-gathering ship” sailing southeast between Okinawa island and Miyako islands towards the Pacific Ocean.

“From the limited information available, the seven restricted airspaces are likely being used for two main purposes: missile testing and simulating no-fly zones, which represent a blocked airspace state,” Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, told AFP.

Su said the drills “appear politically motivated” and would backfire on Beijing by reinforcing the “China threat theory”.

Taiwan faces the constant threat of a military attack by China and relies heavily on US arms sales to boost its defences.

On the eve of Lai’s Pacific tour, the United States approved a proposed sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16s and radar systems, as well as communications equipment, in deals valued at $385 million in total.

Lai said in the US state of Hawaii during his trip there was a need to “fight together to prevent war”, warning there were “no winners” from conflict.

China has launched two large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office and regularly deploys fighter jets and navy ships to press its claims over the island.

Lai has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, angering Beijing which calls him a “separatist”.

This picture taken and released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on December 4, 2024 shows Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaking during a visit at Nauti Primary School in Funafuti, Tuvalu.
| Photo Credit: AFP

China warned Taiwan on Friday that relying on the United States to help it seek independence “will inevitably hit a wall”, as Beijing took aim at a Pacific tour by the self-ruled island’s President Lai Ching-te this week.

Mr. Lai’s trip, which has included two stops on U.S. soil, has drawn a barrage of criticism from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island.

Mr. Lai this week held a phone call with U.S. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, which also angered Beijing.

“Seeking independence with the help of the United States will inevitably hit a wall, and using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Friday.

He added that China has “lodged solemn representations” with Washington and urged it to “stop emptying and gutting the one-China principle”.

Asked about Mr. Lai’s comment on Friday that he was “confident” that Taiwan would deepen cooperation with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, Mr. Lin warned the United States to “cease meddling in Taiwan-related affairs”.

During a Friday press conference, Mr. Lai also urged democracies to be “more united” to counter growing authoritarianism.

He also insisted that Taiwan and China were “not subordinate to each other”.

Asked to respond to the latter, Lin said that “separatist activities… are the biggest threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.

“No matter what they say or do, they cannot change the objective fact that Taiwan is part of China, nor can they stop the historical trend that China… will inevitably reunify,” he added.

China claims Taiwan as part of its own territory and has refused to rule out using force to bring the island under its control. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

China deployed fighter jets and drones as part of a “joint combat readiness patrol” around Taiwan on Sunday (October 27, 2024), Taipei said, hours after Beijing slammed the latest round of US arms sales to the island.

The U.S. State Department on Friday (October 25, 2024) approved a $2 billion arms sale package for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar. The deal awaits approval by Congress.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it detected 19 Chinese aircraft on Sunday (October 27, 2024), including fighter jets and drones, near the island over a nearly four-hour period as part of Beijing’s “joint combat readiness patrol” with warships.

It was the third such patrol reported by Taiwan’s Defence Ministry this month.

“Taiwan’s Military closely monitored the situation with joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, deploying aircraft, naval vessels, and shore-based missile systems as an appropriate response,” the Ministry said.

It came a day after Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said the latest arms package “seriously violates China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously damages China-U.S. relations, and endangers peace and stability” in the strait.

“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes it and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S.,” a Ministry spokesperson said in a statement late Saturday (October 26, 2024).

It added that Beijing would “take all necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”.

Taipei’s Defence Ministry expressed its “sincere gratitude” for the sale on Saturday (October 26, 2024), saying it would “help the Military continue to improve its defence resilience and jointly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

China claims Taiwan as part of its own territory and has refused to rule out using force to bring the island under its control.

Beijing maintains a near-daily presence of fighter jets, drones and warships around the democratic island, and held large-scale war games in its vicinity this month.

Earlier this month, Taiwan detected a record 153 Chinese aircraft in one day.

The U.S. is Taipei’s key partner and provider of weapons despite having no official diplomatic ties with the democratic island.

In September, Beijing sanctioned U.S. defence companies in retaliation for Washington’s approval of the sale of military equipment to Taiwan.

Washington:

China’s military could isolate Taiwan, cripple its economy, and compel the democratic island to submit to Beijing’s Communist Party without firing a shot, CNN reported citing a Washington think tank.

Concerns about the Communist Party’s intentions to take control of Taiwan, potentially by force, have intensified due to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s increasingly aggressive stance towards the self-governed island. China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further fueled these fears.

According to CNN, analysts and military strategists said that there are two key options available to China – a full-scale invasion or a military blockade.

However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington highlights a third option: quarantine. This method, using “gray zone” tactics, involves actions just below the threshold of war. The China Coast Guard, its maritime militia, and various police and maritime safety agencies could enforce a full or partial quarantine of Taiwan, potentially cutting off access to its ports and essential supplies, such as energy, for the island’s 23 million people.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might play only auxiliary and support roles, according to CSIS authors Bonny Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaiole, Samantha Lu, and Truly Tinsley.

“China has significantly increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, stoking fears that tensions could erupt into outright conflict. Much attention has been paid to the threat of an invasion, but Beijing has options besides invading to coerce, punish, or annex Taiwan,” the report says.

Recently, China’s Minister of National Defence Admiral Dong Jun warned “external forces” for emboldening Taiwan Independence separatists in an attempt to contain China with Taiwan and said that these malicious intentions are dragging Taiwan into a dangerous situation.”

He said that anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will “end up in self-destruction.”He accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of pursuing Taiwan’s separation in an incremental manner and added that they are bent on erasing the Chinese identity of Taiwan.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships that operate near Taiwan’s territory.Gray zone tactics are called “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force,” according to Taiwan News.

This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China’s foreign policy. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it a part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)