U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the U.S. does not support Taiwan's independence after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Blinken was in China to improve relations between the two countries, which have become strained in recent years over various issues, including Taiwan. Blinken reiterated that the "longstanding" U.S. One China policy "has not changed." China holds that there is one China that includes Taiwan as a Chinese territory and has considered annexing Taiwan by force. The U.S. maintains informal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and Blinken added that the U.S. remains committed to its responsibility under the Taiwan Relations Act, which includes "making sure Taiwan has the ability to defend itself."
During the meeting, Blinken expressed U.S. concerns about China's "provocative actions" in the waters around Taiwan. Blinken referenced the high level of commercial container traffic that goes through the Taiwan Strait every day, as well as the high percentage of semiconductors that are manufactured in Taiwan. President Xi said, "This is very good," reportedly referring to the progress made during the meeting. However, the Chinese president also appeared to reference China's grievances.
U.S. relations with China have deteriorated in the last few years, with several topics straining the relationship, including Taiwan, China's close relationship with Russia, a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the U.S., and data security concerns with the Chinese app TikTok. Meanwhile, there have been several close encounters recently between U.S. and Chinese military ships and aircraft.
In 2022, the U.S. and China had $690 billion in trade, a record for the two countries.