President Joe Biden declared on Tuesday that the US is not pushing for the island of Taiwan’s independence, and that the country is “not going to change our policy at all” regarding the island.

“We’re not going to change our policy at all,” Biden said on Tuesday as quoted by the White House pool.

“They have to decide – they, Taiwan, not us – and we are not encouraging independence. We are encouraging that they do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires.”

Earlier, however, referring to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which has served as the foundation for US-Taiwan relations since the recognition of the People’s Republic of China, Biden told reporters in New Hampshire that “We made very clear we support the Taiwan Act, and that’s it,” as per Bloomberg.

“It’s independent. It makes its own decisions,” he reportedly stressed.

According to an earlier White House readout of the virtual talks with Xi, Biden stated during the conference that the US remained committed to its “One China” policy. When the two discussed Taiwan, Biden reminded Xi that he voted as a senator to support Taiwan’s self-defense, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

In his turn, the Chinese leader told his American counterpart that if “Taiwan independence” forces breach the red line, China would have to take severe action. However, Xi noted that all differences and sensitive matters between the nations should be handled constructively.

The US president agreed with the Chinese leader on that, according to Sullivan, who stated that Biden “did raise with President Xi the need for a strategic stability set of conversations.”

Source: Sputnik news agency