Congratulating a “presidential election” as “victory of democracy”, sending delegations to the “inauguration” of the newly-elected --- these are protocol arrangements quite usual between sovereign countries when either side has elected a new head of state. It would seem rather peculiar and quite weird if such practices take place between a country and a region of another country. This was exactly what happened days ago when the regional election was held in Taiwan, a province of the People’s Republic of China. And the congratulatory messages came from Secretary of State and State Department spokesman of the United States. Both should represent the official position of the country, which has always acknowledged Taiwan as part of China.  

Since Lai Ching-te, a typical “trouble-maker” for cross-strait relations and a self-claimed “Taiwan independence’ worker” was elected as the regional leader of Taiwan, what the U.S. has done has seriously violated the three China-U.S. joint communiqués and breached its own commitment of acknowledging that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. Saying “we do not support independence” is only paying lip service. Rhetorics cannot be used as a cover for the intimate interaction between Washington and Taipei. Besides the message from the State Department, the visit to Taipei immediately after the counting of votes by a high-level U.S. delegation which was said to be sent by President Biden to convey blessing or reassurance or whatever it is, could be interpreted as certain endorsement from the U.S. government, sending a gravely wrong signal to the separatist forces on the island and causing great indignation and rage among people from the mainland.  

Neither can the visits by U.S. congressmen to Taiwan at the “inauguration” be excused as unofficial exchanges, since the legislative branch was fundamentally a part of the U.S. state power. Officials in government and lawmakers in congress alike all represent the U.S. and speak on behalf of the country. What their gestures tell Lai and his deputy is nothing except that the U.S. supports their effort. And the “Taiwan independence” forces headed by them will only become more and more reckless in taking unscrupulous moves towards separation.

So, these are further attempts at slicing the “sausage” was cut off and changing the “status quo” of cross-strait relations. This is how it is done: Politically, the U.S. introduced Taiwan-related bills repeatedly to enhance its contact with Taiwan, instigating frequent visits to Taiwan by more politicians. It also supported Taiwan in “expanding” so-called “international space”, such as trying to get a seat in some international organizations. Militarily, the U.S. has increased arms sales to Taiwan and frequently sent warships to the Taiwan Strait.

By so doing, the U.S. continuously changed its behaviour and repeatedly created bad “precedents” on the Taiwan question. It has blurred, hollowed out and distorted the One-China principle and the “prefix” and “suffix” of its own “One China policy” have become longer and longer. It is the U.S. that has kept trying to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait while smearing China as changing the status quo.

Under these tactics, the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait no longer refers to a peaceful state in which the two sides live in peace and harmony, but a dangerous process in which the DPP continues to promote de-Sinicization and independence, aiming to haul the island further away from the motherland. To blindly emphasize the maintenance of such a “status quo” is to support Taiwan’s independence and split Chinese territory in the end, leading to One-China, One-Taiwan. This is a serious trampling on China’s national interests. No Chinese will agree.

It is also futile for the U.S. to use the trap of “keeping the status quo” on Taiwan question to tie down China. China has full sovereign rights over the island as Taiwan is always an integral part of the country. China has the right to maintain a “status quo” that is conducive to the development of relations across the Strait. It also has the right to change any distorted “status quo” which runs counter to its national reunification. The starting point of either option is the reunification of China and the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

When more than one hundred countries and international organizations have reiterated their support for the One-China principle and strongly opposed “Taiwan independence” right after the election on the island, the U.S. had better think twice about what it will bring to itself and to China-U.S. relations by changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

 (The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com.)