US, China agree to abide by Taiwan agreement amidst soaring tensions in Indo-Pacific

US President Joe Biden, on Tuesday, said that he recently held a conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and both agreed to follow the Taiwan agreement. “I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree … we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement,” he said. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement,'' Biden told reproters. 

The statement comes in direct contrast to Biden’s previous stance on the situation on Taiwan-related issues. Earlier this year, the American President made headlines as he, in a first, sent an official invitation to Taiwanese ambassador for his inauguration ceremony. Additionally, he also slandered Beijing for its increasing maritime activities near the island and providing Taipei with COVID vaccines.

While Biden never openly showed support for Taiwan’s independence, he, much like his predecessor Donald Trump, bolstered diplomatic ties. Now, under the Taiwan agreement, which reportedly refers to the US' One China Policy, White House will be forbidden to recognise Taiwan as an independent state. Additionally, the agreement also encompasses the Taiwan Relations Act, which makes clear that the US decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taiwan rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.

Taiwan-China relations hit rock bottom

This comes as the Chinese-Taiwanese relations are worse than in 40 years. In one of its most aggressive stances against Taiwan, Beijing deployed a record 56 military planes towards Taiwan’s sovereign airspace. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on 4 October said that the first sortie consisted of 52 jets, including 34 J-16 fighter aircraft and 12 H-6 bombers that flew near the island’s air corridor. After that, at least four Chinese J-16s entered a southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone, Taiwan’s defence ministry stated in a document on Twitter. Taiwanese Air Force scrambled to intercept the jets out of the island, flagging China’s attempts of incursions, the e ministry further stated.  

Beijing claims sovereign rights over the pacific island located roughly 100 miles from its coast but Taipei has repeatedly claimed that it was an independent entity. Speaking at the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 1 July, China's President Xi Jinping vowed for complete reunification of the motherland, fuelling fears of a possible annexation of the pacific island by Beijing. In addition, Jinping also vowed to "smash" any attempts at formal independence for Taiwan. 

Image: AP