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China outraged after Trump State Department deletes key phrase on Taiwan relations

President Donald Trump’s State Department angered Chinese officials last week after deleting a key phrase declaring U.S. opposition to Taiwan’s independence.

The State Department’s fact sheet on U.S. relations with Taiwan had previously stated “we do not support Taiwan independence,” but the phrase was removed on Thursday and continues to be absent. Chinese officials called on the U.S. to “immediately correct this mistake,” on Sunday, arguing it “sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces.”

The State Department noted in a statement to NBC News that the U.S. stance on Taiwanese independence has not changed.

“The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” a spokesperson told the outlet Sunday.

TRUMP MUST DUMP ‘ONE CHINA’ POLICY AND RECOGNIZE ‘FREE’ TAIWAN, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY

The U.S. and China have long held conflicting views over the future of Taiwan. (Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via Reuters/File)

“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We support cross-Strait dialogue, and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait,” the statement continued.

TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’

The U.S. has long held a delicate stance regarding Taiwan and its relation to the Chinese mainland. It has for decades followed the “One China” policy, in which the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China, and acknowledges but does not affirm Beijing’s claim to control over Taiwan.

Part of this understanding requires the U.S. to not have any formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan, a policy reflected in the lack of a U.S. embassy on the island.

President Donald Trump’s State Department appears to have removed a statement rejecting Taiwan’s independence. (Getty)

Nevertheless, the U.S. has funded Taiwan’s defense and worked with Western nations to prevent mainland China from taking over. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that he is open to using military force to conquer the island.

TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINA

Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government, maintains that it is its own independent country. Taiwan first became a self-governed island after pro-democracy forces fled there in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong and his Chinese Communist Party.

Taiwan Air Force Mirage fighter jets taxi on a runway at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan. China makes air incursions near Taiwan on an almost daily basis. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

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The U.S. has relied on symbolic rejections of China’s control over Taiwan in recent years. Just last week, two U.S. Navy vessels sailed in the Taiwan Strait between the island and the mainland, as did a Canadian vessel. Both actions drew criticism from Beijing.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 17, 2025
4 dead, 26 injured in explosion at upscale Taiwan department store

A gas explosion at a department store in Taiwan on Thursday killed four people and injured 26, fire authorities said.

The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city, the Taichung Fire Bureau said. The higher floors of the upscale department store were blown out, raining debris on pedestrians below.

Among the dead were two people visiting from Macau, Macao’s Tourism Office confirmed Thursday. Local media reported that they were part of a family of seven who were there for tourism. The other five were also injured are now being treated at local hospitals in Taichung.

TAIWAN AIR FORCE OFFICER KILLED AFTER BEING ‘INHALED’ BY FIGHTER JET’S ENGINE

Part of the store was under renovation, but it’s not clear if the work was connected to the explosion, Taichung Vice Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin told reporters at the scene. “If it’s found there were illegal actions or parts that violated renovation regulations, it will be dealt with appropriately,” Cheng said.

This image taken from video by Taiwan’s TVBS shows the damaged facade of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store after an explosion in Taichung city in Taiwan on Thursday, Feb 13, 2025. (TVBS via AP)

Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Parts of the building’s exterior were damaged and scattered fragments were strewn on the streets.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told reporters at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby. She said the fire bureau would focus on a rescue operation first, but an investigation was also underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger.

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Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said he had asked all relevant government agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.

February 13, 2025
Reagan’s ‘peace through strength’ doctrine can aid Trump administration with Taiwan policy, group says

A group led by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI) has issued a series of takeaways following its recent visit to Taiwan. The takeaways can be seen as a roadmap of ideas for the Trump administration.

The eight-member delegation consisting of U.S. national security and business leaders concluded their strategic visit to Taiwan last month amid the presidential transition in Washington, D.C., a new administration in Taipei and ongoing Chinese coercion and aggression in East Asia.

The series of meetings was designed to strengthen ties between the United States and Taiwan across Taiwan’s political leaders and business elite. Members of the RRPFI delegation identified several key takeaways from the trip that could compliment the Trump administration’s policies toward strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan partnership.

TRUMP MUST DUMP ‘ONE CHINA’ POLICY AND RECOGNIZE ‘FREE’ TAIWAN, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY

The delegation said that while a number of President Donald Trump’s selections for top administration roles have expressed previously held views about policy involving Taiwan, there is a general mix of optimism and uncertainty over the direction the administration will take on security and economic matters relating to Taiwan.

A member of the Taiwanese coast guard monitors a Chinese coast guard boat as it passes near the coast of the Matsu Islands, governed by Taiwan, on Monday, Oct. 14. (Taiwan Coast Guard/AP)

Increasing defense spending, particularly with NATO allies, was a centerpiece of Trump’s first term. The delegation stressed national unity on defense and said elected officials from all parties need to live up to the intent to increase defense spending. The delegation emphasized to Taiwanese partners that the American public expects U.S. allies and partners to shoulder the primary burden of their own defense, a notion that will certainly appeal to the Trump administration.

The delegation asserted that Russia’s war in Ukraine and how the West handled it since Russia’s full-scale invasion are on the minds of Taiwanese leaders. The Biden administration used the Presidential Drawdown Authority on at least 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine with military assistance from Department of Defense stockpiles, according to the State Department. The RRPFI delegation argue that the Presidential Drawdown Authority along with Foreign Military Sales are valuable tools for enhancing Taiwan’s capabilities and ensuring peace and stability in the region.

TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’

President Lai Ching-te meets a delegation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. (Official Photo by I Chen Lin / Office of the President)

At last month’s meeting, David Trulio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, told Taiwanese leaders that, “especially with President Trump’s mandate in returning to office, Taiwan, the PRC, and the world are watching how the United States addresses China’s ongoing aggression in the South China Sea and malign online influence.”

He said that the security situation across the Taiwan Strait demands a continued commitment to peace through strength, including through robust partnership with Taiwan and sustained U.S. deterrence.

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Getty)

TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINA

“Taiwan has made, and is making, serious investments in its security,” Trulio told the audience.

“That said, given President Trump’s and the American public’s expectation that U.S. allies and partners shoulder the primary burden of their own defense, it is critical that Taiwan’s leaders deliver on their stated intent to increase defense spending and enhance their operational capabilities,” Trulio added.

Taiwan currently spends 2.45% of its GDP on defense, and Taiwanese leaders have expressed their intention to continue to increase their defense budget. Defense spending has increased by 80% since 2016, and their defense budget accounted for 15% of its total budget in 2024, according to Taiwan’s government.

The U.S. has been arming Taiwan for seven decades and Taiwan has consistently been one of the largest purchasers of U.S. weapons through the Foreign Military Sales process.

China’s military fired missiles into the water off eastern Taiwan on Aug. 4, 2022 in response to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting the island. (China Military)

The delegation warned that not receiving weapons diminishes Taiwan’s security and enables the PRC to claim that the United States is an unreliable partner.

China takes these arm sales very seriously. China warned the U.S. that it was making “dangerous moves” by providing Taiwan with an additional $571 million in defense materials, which was authorized by then-President Joe Biden in December just prior to leaving office.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement at the time urging the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and to cease what it referred to as “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

February 13, 2025
Trump must dump ‘One China’ policy and recognize ‘free’ Taiwan, House Republicans say

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FIRST ON FOX: Two dozen House Republicans from across the political spectrum are backing a resolution to formally recognize Taiwan – a break from current U.S. policy that would rankle leaders in Beijing.

The resolution, put forth by Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., and Scott Perry, R-Pa., would encourage President Donald Trump to abandon the U.S.’s longstanding ‘One China’ Policy and formally recognize Taiwan as autonomous.

“Taiwan has never been under the control of the People’s Republic of China – not even for a single day. It is a free, democratic, and independent nation, and it is past time for U.S. policy to reflect this undeniable objective truth,” Tiffany said in a statement.

The resolution implores Trump to support Taiwan’s entry into international trade organizations and negotiate a bilateral U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement.

US FLIES JOINT PATROL WITH THE PHILIPPINES NEAR SHOAL REGION GUARDED BY CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to welcome any attempt by the U.S. to recognize Taiwan. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The U.S. had established diplomatic relations with Taiwan until 1979, when the late President Jimmy Carter cut off formal ties with Taipei and recognized the Communist regime in Beijing.

Congress then passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which created legal authority for unofficial relations with Taiwan and continued military aid.

‘THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL’: TARIFFS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMBATING ‘DRUG WAR,’ TRUMP AND CABINET OFFICIALS SAY

The resolution, put forth by Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., and Scott Perry, R-Pa., would encourage President Donald Trump to abandon the U.S.’s longstanding ‘One China’ Policy and formally recognize Taiwan as autonomous. (Eryk Michael Smith)

Currently, only 12 independent countries recognize the Taipei government. A change in U.S. policy would likely be viewed as a threat by Beijing. When the U.S. sent a military aid package to Taiwan in December, China’s foreign ministry warned Washington was “playing with fire” and called for a stop to “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

U.S. military analysts have projected 2027 as the year by which China would be fully equipped for a military invasion of Taiwan. And the U.S. has long followed a policy of refusing to say whether it would come to the island’s defense under such a scenario.

Trump slapped an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods last week, and China responded in kind with its own export levies. At the same time, Trump has demanded the U.S. take over the Panama Canal to counter Chinese influence.

READ THE HOUSE RESOLUTION BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

But Trump’s comments on the campaign trail suggest that he would not be willing to put boots on the ground to face another global superpower in defense of a tiny island democracy.

“I think Taiwan should pay us for defense,” Trump told Bloomberg Businessweek in June.

US FLIES JOINT PATROL WITH THE PHILIPPINES NEAR SHOAL REGION GUARDED BY CHINA

Trump has previously said that Taiwan should pay the U.S. to be defended from Chinese aggression. (Former President Trump and the flag of Taiwan. Credit: Trump photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images | Taiwan flag photo by Jose Lopes Amaral/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“You know, we’re no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn’t give us anything,” he added.

Taiwan and China separated amid civil war in 1949 and China says it is determined to bring the island under its control by force if necessary. China is increasingly encroaching in the region in recent days with military activity in the Taiwan straits.

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The legislation has both interventionist and America First cosponsors, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, Colo., Carlos Gimenez, Fla., Andy Ogles, Tenn., and Kat Cammack, Fla.

February 6, 2025
Taiwan Air Force officer killed after being ‘inhaled’ by fighter jet’s engine

A Taiwanese Air Force officer died after being sucked into the engine of a fighter jet, officials said.

The incident reportedly happened at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Tuesday while the master sergeant was performing a pre-shutdown inspection of the aircraft.

Taiwan’s Air Force said the officer was “inhaled by the engine for unknown reasons.” She later was pronounced dead after life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.

“In response to media reports that ‘it is suspected that an instructor’s throttle application caused a female officer to be inhaled by a fighter jet,’ the Air Force Command stated that the case is currently being investigated by a task force in cooperation with prosecutors to clarify the cause,” it added.

TAIWAN HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’

A Taiwanese Air Force ground crew mounts a Sky Sword II missile onto an Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft as part of a combat readiness exercise at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on Jan. 8. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)

Officials say they are “deeply saddened” by the death.

Taiwan’s Air Force also said that it will “fully assist the family in handling the aftermath” and that it will “conduct a comprehensive review and improve the work process to prevent similar cases from happening again.”

CHINA WARNS US TO STOP ARMING TAIWAN AFTER BIDEN APPROVES $571 MILLION IN MILITARY AID

A Taiwanese air force pilot climbs into the cockpit of his Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft during a scramble as part of a combat readiness exercise at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on Jan. 7, 2025. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)

The plane involved in the incident was an Indigenous Defense Fighter, the Taipei Times reported, adding that the victim served in the military for around 17 years.

A source familiar with the aircraft told the Taipei Times that the chance of a ground crew member being sucked into its engine – which has a fairly small intake opening — is “miniscule.”

The source said after the plane lands, its motor speed is on a slow rotation and should have been stopped by the time the wheel chocks were being deployed at the base.

A Taiwanese Air Force Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft takes off during a scramble as part of a combat readiness exercise at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on Jan. 7. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)

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Security cameras installed in the hangar of the base should provide the full picture as to what happened, the source added.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

January 22, 2025