China slams US for changing Taiwan wording on State Department website

BEIJING - A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed the United States for changing wording related to Taiwan on its State Department website, saying the move will hollow out the one-China principle and will backfire.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked to comment on a recent update to the Taiwan fact sheet displayed on the website of the US Department of State, which removes wording both on not supporting Taiwan independence and on acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of China.

"There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, with the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China," Zhao said, noting that these facts are the consensus of the international community and are universally recognized norms governing international relations.

"The US has made solemn commitments on the Taiwan question and the one-China principle in the three China-US joint communiques," Zhao noted, saying that changing the wording on Taiwan is an act of political manipulation and an attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which will backfire and the US itself will get burnt.

Zhao urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, as well as the political commitments it made to China on the Taiwan question.

"The US side should put into practice President Biden's statement that the US does not support 'Taiwan independence', and cease all political manipulation on Taiwan-related issues or any attempt to contain China with the Taiwan question," Zhao said.