U.S. reaffirms Taiwan policy 'not changed' following WSJ article

Taipei, Sept. 30 (CNA) The United States will maintain its stance on Taiwan and opposes any unilateral move to alter the status quo, a Department of State spokesperson told CNA Monday (U.S. time) after a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report suggested Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) plans to press U.S. President Donald Trump to formally oppose Taiwan independence.

"Our position on Taiwan has not changed," the spokesperson said.

"We remain committed to our one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances to Taiwan. The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Repeating the department's viewpoint published in the article, the spokesperson told CNA that "China's actions continue to present the single greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

The WSJ reported on Sept. 27 that "Xi is no longer satisfied with the U.S. position adopted by the administration of President Joe Biden, in which Washington 'does not support' Taiwan independence," and intends to urge Trump to formally declare that the U.S. "opposes" Taiwanese independence.

The piece, written by Lingling Wei, bases its claims on "people familiar with the matter."

"For Xi, the difference between not supporting Taiwan's independence and explicitly opposing it is more than semantics," the article said.

"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."

The report said Xi believes he can persuade Trump to alter U.S. policy because Beijing thinks the U.S. president is eager to reach an economic accord with China.

According to the WSJ, the two leaders plan to meet at the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea and may hold additional meetings, including a Trump visit to Beijing early in 2026 and a Xi visit to the U.S. in December that year.

Whether Trump travels to China will depend on Beijing's cooperation on trade and its efforts to curb the flow of fentanyl precursors, the report said.

The American daily newspaper report added that Xi is expected to "use every chance he gets with Trump to press the American leader to adopt a firm stance against Taiwanese independence."