US reaffirms Taiwan stance following Xinhua claims

Staff writer, with CNA

A US official on Saturday reaffirmed Washington’s stance toward Taiwan, after China’s Xinhua news agency reported that US President Barack Obama expressed the US’ “opposition” to “Taiwanese independence” in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in China.

“Our position is consistent and longstanding... We remain firmly committed to our ‘one China’ policy based on the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act,” White House National Security Council spokesman Myles Caggins said in an e-mailed statement.

Obama and Xi held a meeting in Hangzhou on the eve of the G20 summit taking place there, and according to Xinhua, Xi urged the US to honor its commitment to the “one China” policy and the three joint communiques, and safeguard the peaceful development of cross-strait ties and the overall interests of Sino-US cooperation with deeds.

According to Xinhua, Obama responded that the US “opposes all attempts aimed at seeking Taiwanese independence,” and reaffirmed that Tibet belongs to China.

“Our fundamental interest is in peaceful and stable cross-strait relations,” said Caggins, who is among the White House staff accompanying Obama in China.

“We believe that cross-strait issues should be resolved peacefully in a manner, pace and scope acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait,” Caggins added.

However, Caggins did not reveal the details of the meeting between the two leaders.

Earlier this year, Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asian Affairs at the US National Security Council, said that Chinese officials often mention the Taiwanese issue during meetings with their US counterparts, and if US officials comment on the issue, they say: “We do not support Taiwanese independence.”