US draws clear line on Taiwan independence but China will still have cause to worry: analysts

Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell says the US supported a ‘strong unofficial relationship’ with Taiwan but not independence

Chinese analyst says it’s not what Washington says about its relationship with Taiwan, but the way they say it

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Chinese observers say remarks by Kurt Campbell, the White House’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, are in line with the official position the US has taken on Taiwan since 1979. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:00am, 10 Jul 2021Updated: 8:08pm, 10 Jul 2021

Beijing welcomes the US’ clear stand against Taiwanese independence but tension is likely to remain high as Washington and Taipei grow closer, Chinese analysts say.

In the Biden administration’s first public statement on what Beijing considers a “red line” on one of its “core issues”, Kurt Campbell, the White House’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said this week that the US supported a “strong unofficial relationship” with Taiwan but not independence.

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be its own territory, and has vowed to bring the island under its rule, by force if necessary.

Kurt Campbell is the White House’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific. Photo: AFP

“We fully recognise and understand the sensitivities involved here,” Campbell said at a discussion hosted by the Asia Society on Tuesday. “We do believe that Taiwan has a right to live in peace. We want to see its international role, particularly in areas like vaccines and issues associated with the pandemic.

“They should have a role to play here, they should not be shunned in the international community. It is a balance, but it is a balance that the United States accepts and supports.”

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