After the meeting with Xi Jinping, U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen: There are still big differences between the two sides on the status of Taiwan – International – Free Times e-newsletter

First published 03:30
Updated time 07:12

[Central News Agency]U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen said today that after U.S. President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC) in San Francisco last week, the two sides still have great differences on the issue of Taiwan’s status.

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Janet Yellen was interviewed by the American financial media CNBC program Squawk Box and said: “President Xi did express the very important point of view that the reunification of Taiwan and mainland China is very important. Of course, he expressed the hope to achieve this goal through peaceful means.”

She also mentioned: “But President Joe Biden said that our policy towards Taiwan has always remained unchanged.”

Hours after meeting with Xi Jinping, Biden stated at a press conference: “We maintain the consensus of the one-China policy, and I will not change that. This will not change.”

CNBC reported that the United States recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, but also insists that Taiwan is an autonomous territory, even though Beijing claims that Taiwan is part of China.

The standoff between Biden and Xi on the issue could have military implications, even after the two men met last week, although Xi Jinping insists he does not want a military conflict.

Taiwanese government officials have pointed out that China has continued to expand its military operations around Taiwan in recent months. Officials worry that China’s military activities around Taiwan could cause unexpected clashes and erupt into a full-scale conflict.

U.S. military officials have warned that China may be ready to attack Taiwan by 2027. They also criticized the United States for not providing enough military support to Taiwan to deter China.

Biden recently proposed a $105 billion budget to the U.S. Congress, which mainly provides assistance to Ukraine and Israel for their respective wars. It also includes $2 billion for security measures in Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Yellen said today that this budget bill is “critical to the national security of the United States.”