China issued a warning to the US and Taiwan over discussions about changing a Taiwanese agency’s name. Representatives warned that it would be a violation of the One China Policy, and “severe measures” would be taken in response to the proposal.
Financial Times reported that there is a “serious consideration” in the US regarding changing the name of the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office” in Washington DC to “Taiwan Representative Office.”
White House Asia adviser Kurt Campbell allegedly backed the proposal, while National Security Council and state department officials also supported the move.
China: US Has “No Intention” of Going Against One-China Policy
Zhao Lijian, deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department, stated in a press conference on Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden agreed on the One China policy.
According to Lijian, Biden said that “the US has no intention to change” it. He urged the US not to proceed with the office name change based on this understanding.
“The US should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, honor its commitments with concrete actions, stop all forms of official exchanges or elevate substantive relations with Taiwan,” Lijian added.
He said that such a move is equivalent to “sending wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” and that the US should “stop.”
Lijian added that any mishandling of the issue by the US could “seriously undermine China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
‘Severe Measures’
Chinese publication Global Times remarked that should the US decide to push through with the “Taiwan card,” diplomatic measures may not be enough. “The Chinese mainland will have to take severe economic and military measures” as a response to the issue.
US Silence
In a news briefing, principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department Jalina Porter refused to comment on the name change proposal, merely reiterating American support for Taiwan.
“Broadly speaking, our support for Taiwan is rock solid and we remain committed to keeping our ties with Taiwan, which is a leading democracy and a critical economic and security partner,” Porter added.
