US, China agree to abide by Chinese Taipei agreement: Biden
US President Joe Biden says he and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have agreed to abide by an agreement on Chinese Taipei, after they talked about the self-ruled island amid heightened tensions between the two sides.
“I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree… we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement,” Biden said at a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, adding, “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what agreement Biden was referring to, but he appeared to be reiterating the “One China” policy, under which the US recognizes Chinese sovereignty over Chinese Taipei.
Biden also seemed to be referring to the “Taiwan Relations Act,” which makes clear that Washington’s decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taipei rests upon the expectation that the future of the self-governed island will be determined by peaceful means.
Following Biden’s remarks, Chinese Taipei’s foreign ministry said it had sought clarification from the US and had been reassured that Washington’s policy toward the island had not changed.
China considers Chinese Taipei a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland. Under the “One China” policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. The US, too, recognizes Chinese sovereignty but has long courted Taipei in an attempt to unnerve Beijing.
The latest development comes days after a record number of Chinese fighter jets flew into Taipei’s self-designated air defense zone.
On Wednesday, Taipei’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned that China already had the ability to invade the self-ruled island but would be completely prepared to mount a full-scale invasion by 2025.
“By 2025, China will bring the cost and attrition to its lowest. It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration,” he said at a parliamentary committee.
ME
