Taipei denounces Xi remarks to Trump
FACTS DISTORTION: The MAC rejected Xi’s remarks that the US and ‘China’ fought side-by-side during WWII, saying the ROC was Washington’s true ally during the war
By Ben Blanchard and John Geddie / Reuters, TAIPEI
Taiwan yesterday denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) comments to US President Donald Trump on the nation’s future, after Xi appeared to push Trump for a subtle change in stance that could erode US support for Taiwan.
Xi told Trump in Washington on Thursday that he hoped the US would adhere to the “correct position” of opposing Taiwanese independence, according to a Chinese readout of the talks.
That would be a tougher version of Washington’s long-standing formulation that it does not “support” independence.
From right, China’s first lady Peng Liyuan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump and the US’ first lady Melania Trump watch an exhibition of the US Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon at the White House in Washington on Thursday.
Photo: CNP / Bloomberg
There was no immediate White House readout of the exchange.
Xi’s remarks represent “the consistent Chinese approach of distorting facts and unilaterally conveying its position and claims,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to all the people of Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party [CCP] has no right to represent the Taiwanese people, and Taiwan’s future can only be determined by the Taiwanese people through democratic means,” it added.
China is the “true disruptor” of regional peace and stability, the ministry said, pointing to its military activities around the nation, and in the East and South China seas.
Taiwan would continue to work closely with the US and other like-minded partners to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it added.
The Mainland Affairs Council also rejected Xi’s remarks about the US and China “fighting side-by-side” during World War II, saying that the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949 and did not exist during the war.
The Republic of China (ROC) was the US’ true ally during WWII, the council said, adding that the CCP focused primarily on expanding its own power during the World War, dedicating only 10 percent of its efforts to fighting the Japanese.
Furthermore, during the Korean War, the CCP championed its campaign to “resist US aggression and aid Korea,” becoming Washington’s primary adversary, it said.
The CCP’s false narrative cannot erase the historical contributions of the ROC during WWII, it added.
While there are no immediate signs that the Trump administration plans to acquiesce to Xi’s request, the repercussions of that nuanced word change would be far reaching.
China may use the threat of Taiwanese independence or agitation for independence as a pretext for conflict, and remind the US that it has staked its opposition to those actions, Eurasia Group senior analyst on China Jeremy Chan said.
“It would erode a lot of the ... strategic ambiguity of whether the US would come to Taiwan’s aid in that context,” said Chan, a former US diplomat stationed in China.
US allies such as Japan have long worried that Trump might be willing to soften support for Taiwan in exchange for economic or other geopolitical wins with China.
After meeting with Xi in Beijing in May, Trump said that he was holding a package of arms sales to Taiwan in abeyance, describing it as a “negotiating chip.”
The US is seeking to secure Chinese purchases of Boeing planes and farm goods, and Washington views China as uniquely able to exert pressure on Iran to bring an end to the war that has dragged Trump’s approval rating to a record low.
Trump does not wish to see Taipei become an obstacle to achieving a broader and more comprehensive agreement with Beijing, Tamkang University diplomacy and international relations assistant professor James Chen (陳奕帆) said.
“Trump has not yet shown any intention to trade Taiwan for a major strategic gain,” he added.
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