MoFA blasts US after Taiwan fact sheet change

China’s Foreign Ministry (MoFA) is pissed.

The reason: The US State Department removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwanese independence” from the fact sheet on US-Taiwan relations on its website.

Some context: This isn’t a first.

• In March 2022, under the Biden administration, the State Department also removed language about not supporting Taiwan independence from its fact sheet, prompting an angry MoFA response.

Even so, a MoFA spokesperson was none too pleased (MoFA):

• "This move severely violates the one-China principle…and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces.”
• “This is another example of the U.S. clinging to its wrong policy of ‘using Taiwan to contain China.’”

Get smart: This change of language is more posturing than policy.

• The Trump administration is still formulating its approach to China and cross-strait relations, with Trump publicly mulling tariffs on Taiwanese chips and asking Taiwan to pay for US defense.

The big question: Can the administration’s China hawks (e.g. Secretary of State Marco Rubio) coax Trump into more unqualified support for Taiwan?

What to watch: Taiwan is reportedly considering a major arms purchase from the US to get Trump and his team onside.

• We’ll be watching to see how the big man receives this overture.