Washington stands strong in its Taiwan policy

The US Department of State’s removal of specific language on its Taiwan fact sheet has worked to further inflame cross-strait tensions between China and the United States. In February, it was updated, removing the sentence “we do not support Taiwan independence.” 

The wording was also changed from stating that it would support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations “where statehood is not a requirement” to “where applicable.”

But this change in wording is likely not a departure from the contours of the US-Taiwan relationship as it is laid out in the One China Policy. 

Rather, it can be understood as a subtle way in which the Trump administration aims to signal support for Taipei as Beijing ramps up its pressure campaign, without Washington fundamentally changing its long-held policy.

Relations between China and the United States are on a very unstable trajectory. 

Intimidation tactics

Tariff tension has added to abounding speculation about what the Trump 2.0 presidency will mean for China and Taiwan. 

Beijing’s Strait-Thunder 2025A military exercise in April is one of the latest examples of China ramping up coercion and intimidation tactics in the Taiwan Strait.

Relations have deteriorated under Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who has been labelled by Chinese authorities as a provocative force and “a destroyer of cross-strait peace.” 

In March, Lai held a press conference after a meeting in which he laid out 17 major strategies to respond to the growing threat that China poses to national security, labelling the country as a “foreign hostile force.”

Beijing responded negatively to his remarks, stating “those who play with fire will surely be burned.” In line with China’s normal approach, Beijing responded strongly to the change in wording on the US Department of State fact sheet. 

Its Foreign Ministry declared the move as “another egregious example of the United States intention of using Taiwan to contain China.” 

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, stating the changes reflect “the close and amicable partnership between Taiwan and the United States.”

But despite these intense reactions from Beijing and Taipei, the US State Department claimed that the updates are routine and do not signal any substantive change to American policy towards Taiwan.

Washington has maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity towards Taipei and has made efforts to uphold its One China Policy – not to be confused with Beijing’s One China Principle. 

Joint communiques

The One China Policy lays out the parameters for the unofficial relationship between Taiwan and the United States. 

Shaped by three US-China joint communiques, it states that the US government recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. But it falls short of formally recognizing Beijing’s claims.

For decades, this fragile diplomatic equilibrium that Washington works to uphold has enabled both Taiwan and China to develop peacefully. 

Yet with growing anti-Beijing sentiment in Taiwan and the US, and the military balance increasingly favoring China, the status quo has become much more contentious.

With an administration that is highly vocal to showcase US strength, it is entirely plausible that the change in wording on the State Department’s website is an example of how Washington is standing up to China’s increasingly aggressive actions.

At the same time, it is remaining within the realm of the One China Policy. 

Although Washington does not formally recognize Taipei, it makes clear through the Taiwan Relations Act that any effort by China to determine the future of the island by anything other than peaceful means is considered a threat to security.

With China continuing to act in increasingly coercive ways towards Taiwan, it may not be wise for Washington to stand idly by. 

Coercive actions

To fully protect its goals of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, the United States needs to be clearer in explaining those interests to China and Taiwan. It must also find ways to counter Beijing’s aggression that fits within the One China Policy.

Although the updates to the State Department website were small changes in wording, they did not go unnoticed. 

Such moves should not be seen as a change in policy, but rather a way to showcase American commitment in its long-standing policy towards Taiwan and its will to not let Beijing’s coercive actions go unchecked.

*In May 2025, the US State Department removed all fact sheets from its website.

Truly Tinsley is an Associate Director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

This edited article is republished from East Asia Forum under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of China Factor.