US reaffirms unchanged Taiwan policy and supports its international participation ahead of summit

At a sensitive time when geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific remain high and high-level interactions between the United States and China are attracting intense international attention, U.S. Department of State Chinese Language Spokesperson Jia Bo made a clear and crucial statement regarding the Taiwan issue during an exclusive interview with media at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. He publicly reiterated in the interview that the long-standing U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed in any way, and Washington will continue to uphold its commitment to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability in accordance with the established "One China policy," the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances. This reiteration not only carries high political symbolic significance, but also serves as a reassurance to Asia-Pacific allies across several key diplomatic nodes, establishing the strategic consistency and continuity of the U.S. position on Taiwan.

Particularly noteworthy is that this statement was made on the eve of the upcoming meeting between the heads of state of the U.S. and China. Whenever top leaders of the U.S. and China prepare to hold bilateral talks, the Taiwan issue is invariably the core focus of diplomatic wrestling between the two sides, as well as a weather vane for the international community to examine whether the U.S. commitment to Taiwan will be compromised by major-power deals. At this critical juncture, the U.S. Department of State's proactive voicing through an official specifically responsible for Chinese-language communications, clearly conveying the message of an unchanging policy toward Taiwan, was a meticulously chosen timing. This is not merely a routine policy statement, but a clear signal sent by Washington to Beijing, indicating that although the U.S. and China are attempting to establish communication channels and manage differences, on core principles such as safeguarding Taiwan's democracy and freedom and ensuring its international space for survival, America's bottom line and position have not loosened due to the preparations for the summit.

In addition to reiterating that policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, Jia further emphasized in the interview that the United States will continue to firmly support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations. For a long time, Taiwan has continuously faced strong political suppression and isolation from the Beijing authorities when participating in global governance platforms such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, the U.S. government has continuously used various diplomatic channels and practical actions in recent years to publicly voice support for Taiwan's right to international participation. Washington's logic is that global issues such as public health, aviation safety, and climate change should not experience epidemic prevention or governance loopholes due to the political considerations of a single regime; as an indispensable democratic partner in the global supply chain, Taiwan's professionalism and experience make substantial contributions to the international community. U.S. State Department officials reconfirmed this position in writing during this interview, highlighting the U.S. strategic persistence in assisting Taiwan to expand its international survival space.

Examining the evolution of U.S. policy toward Taiwan over time, its core framework has always been based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Communiques, and the Six Assurances presented by the Reagan administration to Taiwan. This strategic framework, described by Washington as highly flexible yet full of principles, aims to deter unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by both sides, while ensuring that Taiwan can maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities and a democratic way of life. Facing the escalation of Beijing's military pressure and increasingly severe diplomatic suppression against Taiwan in recent years, bipartisan support for Taiwan in the United States has already become an area of rare, high-level consensus between Congress and the executive branch. The statement made by the State Department's Chinese-language spokesperson at the UN Headquarters—a venue carrying symbolic significance for global multilateral diplomacy—is not only an endorsement of Taiwan's long-term democratic development, but also a reminder to the international community within the multilateral diplomatic system that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are closely linked to global supply chain security and the international rule of law.

Looking ahead, after experiencing comprehensive competition and confrontation over the past few years, U.S.-China relations are currently entering a new phase of seeking "guardrails" and stable management. However, the structural nature of the competition has not changed, and the Taiwan issue, as the most sensitive and easily triggered flashpoint between the U.S. and China, remains paramount in their diplomatic gaming. The U.S. Department of State's public reiteration at this very moment that its policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and its strong support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations not only consolidates the long-standing foundation of mutual trust between Taiwan and the U.S. on a substantive level, but also conveys a clear signal to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region on a strategic level: the U.S. commitment to Taiwan possesses a high degree of reliability and continuity. This plays an indispensable stabilizing role in maintaining the dynamic balance of the cross-strait situation and deterring any potential reckless attempts.