US signals it’s still not ready to cross Beijing’s red lines over Taiwan

Recent comments by senior White House official Kurt Campbell restating US opposition to independence show the limits of Washington’s support for the island

Beijing has repeatedly insisted such a move would mean war and Xi Jinping recently vowed to crush any attempts to stop reunification

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The US has restated its opposition to a formal declaration of Taiwanese independence. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00am, 9 Jul 2021Updated: 7:01am, 9 Jul 2021

The United States has been carrying out a delicate balancing act over Taiwan, and recent comments by a senior White House official opposing a declaration of independence indicate the limits of its support for the island, observers have said.

The comments by White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell were intended to send a signal both to Beijing and Taipei that the Biden administration did not wish to cross a major red line, they added.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its own territory, has repeatedly warned that a declaration of independence would lead to war.

Campbell’s comments – that the US supports a strong unofficial relationship, but not independence – at an event hosted by the Asia Society on Tuesday, was the first public statement on the issue by an official from the Biden administration.

It followed last week’s comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a speech marking the Communist Party’s centenary, that any attempts to block the “complete reunification” of Taiwan and the mainland would be crushed.