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Secretary of State Antony Blinken directly addressed the Biden administration’s stance on China and Taiwan on Thursday, after President Biden stated earlier in the week that he would take military action to defend Taiwan against China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to Biden’s comments, which the Biden administration has since taken steps to walk back. This continued on Thursday, when Blinken spoke before the Asia Society Policy Institute.
“Our approach has been consistent across decades and administrations,” the secretary of state said. “As the president has said, our policy has not changed. The United States remains committed to our One China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiques, the six assurances. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”
The “One China policy” refers to the U.S. recognition of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, but only acknowledges, without endorsing, Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China.
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The day after Biden made his comment, a reporter asked him if he was still considering military action. The president said he was not, and that the U.S. position of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan “has not changed at all,” according to Reuters.
Blinken went further on Thursday, spending a section of his speech on the administration’s policy on Taiwan.
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“We do not support Taiwan independence, and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means,” the secretary said.
As for working with Taiwan, Blinken said the U.S. “will continue to expand our cooperation with Taiwan on our many shared interests and values,” and “”deepen our economic ties consistent with our One China policy.”
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At the same time, Blinken recognized that Beijing has been cutting Taiwan off from other countries and international organizations. He said this is “deeply destabilizing” and could harm “the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
Regarding China, Blinken said the U.S. is “committed to intense diplomacy alongside intense competition” but will work with Beijing “where our interests come together,” on “priorities that demand that we work together for the good of our people and the good of the world.”
Fox News’ Tyler O’Neil contributed to this report.