If President Trump wants to strike an economic deal with China, he might have to make a major policy shift: The Wall Street Journal reports that Xi Jinping wants the US to explicitly declare that it opposes Taiwan's independence. That would amount to a significant diplomatic victory for Beijing, notes Bloomberg, which confirms the Journal account. The current US policy, laid out under former President Biden, stipulates that the US "does not support" Taiwanese independence.
That may sound like splitting hairs, but the Journal story explains the significance:
-
"For Xi, the difference between not supporting Taiwan's independence and explicitly opposing it is more than semantics. It would signal a shift in U.S. policy from a neutral position to one that actively aligns with Beijing against Taiwanese sovereignty—a change that could further cement Xi's hold on power at home."
Since taking power in 2012, Xi has prioritized what he calls "reunification" with Taiwan, making it central to his vision for China's future. Now, with Trump signaling interest in an economic deal, Xi's team believes the moment is right to push for the US policy shift. "The significance is less about an imminent US policy change and more about Beijing testing Washington's resolve on wording it sees as central to its position," Craig Singleton of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies tells Bloomberg.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
