President Joe Biden stated on Saturday that the United States does not support Taiwan’s independence. This statement came after Taiwanese voters rejected China and gave the ruling party a third term in office.
William Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is currently in power in Taiwan, came to power earlier in the day. He vehemently rejected the pressure from China to reject him and pledged to both stand up to Beijing and seek talks.
“We do not support independence,” Biden said in response to a question about his reaction to the elections that took place on Saturday.
A warning was issued by the United States government that “it would be unacceptable” for any nation to interfere in the election, which was issued several hours before the polls opened.
Despite the fact that Taiwan does not have any formal diplomatic ties with the United States, the United States continue to be Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier.
Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States of America, extended his congratulations to Lai on his victory and stated that the United States “is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, as well as the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and all forms of pressure.”
He stated that the United States is looking forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance their “longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the United States’ One China policy.”
The administration of Vice President Joe Biden has expressed concern that the upcoming election, transition, and new administration will exacerbate the conflict with Beijing.
In an effort to improve relations with China, President Biden has made efforts, including agreeing to discuss differences of opinion regarding matters of national security during a summit in California with President Xi Jinping in November.
The government of Taiwan anticipates that China will make an effort to exert pressure on the incoming president of Taiwan after the election, which may include conducting military maneuvers in the vicinity of the island in the spring, according to two senior government officials. Throughout its history, China has never refused to resort to the use of force in order to subjugate Taiwan.
One of the senior officials in the Biden administration has stated that Biden intends to send an unofficial delegation to the island that is self-governed as a demonstration of his support for the government.
According to the official, who stated that the names have not been finalized, it is highly probable that the delegation will consist of an assortment of former high-ranking officials from the United States. Other delegations of a similar nature have been dispatched to Taiwan in the past.
In 2016, the then-electing president of the United States, Donald Trump, had a phone conversation with Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen. This was the first time that representatives from the United States and Taiwan had spoken to one another over the phone since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979.
