TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US State Department website has replaced “People’s Republic of China” with “China” on its country fact sheet, following the removal of opposition to Taiwan’s independence on its Taiwan page.
The fact sheet for US-China Relations has been changed to write “Strategic competition is the frame through which the United States views its relationship with China,” per Nikkei Asia. Under the Biden administration, the wording was “Strategic competition is the frame through which the United States views its relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).”
It remains unclear whether the State Department will use only “China” in all future documents. In the readouts of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Jan. 24 call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) and his Jan. 22 call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, the abbreviation “PRC” was still used in phrases such as “US-PRC relationship” and “PRC’s behavior,” though the full name was not spelled out.
In addition, the fact sheet emphasizes Washington’s commitment to “countering the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) malicious cyber activity against US government,” mentioning the CCP three times. In contrast, documents from the Biden administration did not reference China’s ruling party.
A State Department spokesperson told Nikkei Asia, “The Department of State routinely updates its website and fact sheets. The China fact sheet was updated to reflect the current administration’s policies and priorities as they relate to China and the US-China relationship.”
The document also signals a clear policy shift. The Biden administration’s version emphasized that the US would work closely with allies and partners to address the PRC “from a position of strength,” whereas the new version says that the US will engage with China “under the principles of reciprocity and fairness.”
On Sunday, news broke that the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” was removed from the website, with the change first evident on Feb. 13. When asked to comment on the change, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said the US had “seriously regressed” in its Taiwan policy.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) Sunday welcomed the changes, saying they reflect the “close and friendly partnership” between Taiwan and the US, per CNA. Lin thanked the Trump administration for its continued emphasis on Taiwan and pledged that Taiwan would strengthen its self-defense and economic and social resilience.
