After voters in Taiwan rejected China and awarded the ruling party a third term in office, United States President Joe Biden on 13th January declared that his country does not support the island nation’s independence. Lai Ching-te also known as William, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in Taiwan earlier in the day. He vehemently rejected Chinese attempts to spurn him and promised to both challenge Beijing and pursue dialogue. China had warned the Taiwanese voters against voting for him.
When asked about the fresh elections, Joe Biden responded, “We do not support independence.” The United States has long maintained that it opposes Taiwan issuing a formal declaration of independence, having moved its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. It does, however, continue to have informal ties with the self-governing island and continues to be its main source of support and weaponry. On the other hand, the dragon worries that Lai Ching-te would proclaim the creation of the Republic of Taiwan which he has stated he will not do but the Chinese govt has never given up using force to subjugate the tiny nation.
The people of Taiwan voted Vice President Lai Ching-te to the presidency and ensured the Democratic Progressive Party’s regime for a third consecutive term. The election’s outcome will determine how the nation and China interact for the ensuing four years. The latter asserts sovereignty over Taiwan and claims authority over the narrow stretch of sea separating the two nations even though the island has been self-governing for almost 75 years.
China had earlier issued a warning and announced that voters might be choosing between war and peace making the election crucial. Joe Biden’s position which acknowledged Beijing’s arguments that Taiwan has historically been a part of the mainland, supported the One China policy. The United States has pledged to maintain informal ties with Taiwan.
Following his meeting with President Xi Jinping in November, Joe Biden remarked that he “made clear” that China should not meddle in Taiwan’s election but noted that the United States upholds the One China agreement and he has no intention of altering it. After a long struggle against martial law and authoritarian control, Taiwan held the first direct presidential election in 1996 and has since become a model of democratic triumph.
After the elections, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai Ching-te and highlighted that the US “is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure.” According to him, the United States is eager to collaborate with the new president and other political leaders of his country to further their “longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the US one-China policy.”
The Biden administration was concerned that tensions with Beijing would worsen as a result of the election, transition and new government. As part of his efforts to improve ties with China, Joe Biden agreed to address security-related disagreements with President Xi Jinping during their November summit in California. According to two senior government officials, Taiwan anticipates that China will try to exert pressure on its future president following the electoral process including staging military drills close to the island this spring.
China has never denied the right to use force to annex Taiwan. According to a senior Biden administration official, The US President intends to send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan as a show of support for the government. The official added that the names are still being decided, but it is probable that some former high-ranking American officials will be a part of it. House Speaker Mike Johnson also mentioned that he “will be asking the chairs of the relevant House Committees to lead a delegation to Taipei following Lai’s inauguration in May” in a post on social media. Taiwan has hosted such delegations in the past.
We congratulate William Lai on his election as the next President of Taiwan and we are happy to see democracy thriving among the Taiwanese people.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 13, 2024
The United States is eager to work with President-elect Lai and build on the strong partnership we’ve enjoyed with President Tsai.…
President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan and then-President-elect Donald Trump had their first phone conversation in 2016 which infuriated China. This was the first time since President Jimmy Carter had transferred diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979.
