(Global Times) Recently, the US Department of State's official website updated the fact sheet on its relations with Taiwan island by removing the previous statement that the US "does not support 'Taiwan independence.'" It was also reported that the Taiwan authorities were negotiating arm purchases with Washington, including coastal defense cruise missiles and HIMARS rockets, amounting to between $7 billion to $10 billion. The US has been taking petty actions regarding China's red line, and its stubborn adherence to the wrong policy of "using the island of Taiwan to contain China" is tantamount to playing with fire.

On the Taiwan question, the US government has long stated that it "opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side"; however, the actions of the "Taiwan independence" forces and the interventions imposed by many US policies and "bills" have all undermined the stability of the Taiwan Straits. This is rooted in the US' attempt to utilize the "Taiwan independence" forces to bind the island to Washington's geostrategic chariot.

On the Taiwan question, history cannot be tampered with, facts cannot be denied, and truth cannot be distorted. No matter how long the remaining issues have dragged on, and no matter how the internal political ecology of the Taiwan region has changed, the basic fact that "both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China" cannot be changed and will not be shaken. Any attempts, whether by the "Taiwan independence" forces or external anti-China forces, to unilaterally change this basic fact will not be supported.

Objectively speaking, the US government has long stated its adherence to the "one-China policy" and its stance of "not supporting Taiwan independence." This position is based on undeniable facts and legal foundations, aligns with the broad consensus of the international community and fundamental principles of international relations, and serves to keep the intensity of China-US competition within a certain range.

In response to external reactions, a US State Department spokesperson reiterated that the US remains committed to its "one-China policy." This clearly demonstrates that some US politicians view the Taiwan question as nothing more than a "card" to be played. They seek to expand their maneuvering space to use the "Taiwan card" in containing China while they aim to avoid crossing red lines and "directly clashing" with China on core interests.

In May 2022, the Joe Biden administration quietly removed wording such as "not supporting Taiwan independence" from its website, only to restore it less than a month later. However, after the current US administration took office, the State Department discreetly deleted relevant position statements from its website - an action that appears hesitant but carries profound and dangerous strategic intentions.

On one hand, as a key initiator and core participant of the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, facing China's firm determination to safeguard its core interests, the US neither can nor dares to openly support the division of China, whether from a moral standpoint or based on its own strategic capabilities, as doing so would go against global norms. 

As a result, the US has adopted a "marginal" strategy, resorting to small maneuvers such as "updating" key policy statements or making so-called "slip-of-the-tongue" remarks about "defending Taiwan." The essence of these actions is to continuously blur and hollow out the substantive meaning of its one-China policy.

On the other hand, in recent years, some US politicians have viewed China as the "major strategic competitor" and attempted to "outcompete" it, highlighting the strategic value of Taiwan as a chess piece in this context. 

First, the Taiwan island is centrally located within the "first island chain" that the US uses to contain China, particularly under the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy," giving the island irreplaceable geopolitical strategic value. Second, amid the US high-tech "encirclement" strategy against China and China's "counter-encirclement," as the technology industry in the Chinese mainland continues to make breakthroughs, Taiwan's semiconductor industry has become one of the few remaining defensive barriers for advanced chip manufacturing within the US' "small yard, high fence" approach. Therefore, the US is employing both soft and hard tactics, using subsidies to attract TSMC's capacity transfer while also pressuring TSMC to give up some board seats and hand over advanced process technologies. 

With the active cooperation of "Taiwan independence" forces, the foundation of Taiwan's semiconductor industry is gradually being hollowed out by the US. However, in the context that the US military presence gradually shifts toward the "second island chain" and retains only "allies" in the "first island chain," when Taiwan loses its significant semiconductor industry leverage in the future, how much more is the US willing to pay to keep this "useless card"? It seems that Washington needs to assess how much the "Taiwan independence" forces can still sell out the interests of the Taiwanese people.

Acknowledging and respecting the basic status that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China is the premise and foundation for peacefully resolving the Taiwan question. China has proposed the policy of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" to address the Taiwan question, aiming to find the "optimal solution" to the Taiwan question in a peaceful manner. 

We advise the US side not to challenge China's patience, to stop manipulating Taiwan-related issues, and to cease sending incorrect signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Instead, the US should take concrete actions to play a constructive role in the peace and development of the Taiwan Straits, which is the correct approach to fostering the development of China-US relations.