China Discusses Taiwan With U.S. Officials

Chinese officials conveyed a clear position on Taiwan during a meeting with U.S. officials last week. The discussion lasted more than two hours and focused on several regional matters. It added that unless the matter is handled properly, clashes and conflicts could occur and place the entire relationship in great jeopardy.

Taiwan functions as a multiparty democracy with free elections and peaceful transfers of power since 2000. It receives a rating of 93 out of 100 on assessments of civil liberties and political rights. China rates 9 on the same assessment. Chinese officials have long regarded Taiwan as part of their territory, citing historical incorporation during the Qing dynasty and administration as a province in 1886.

Taiwan sits between Japan to the north and the Philippines to the south. This location creates a chain of islands that affects access to the western Pacific Ocean. Control of Taiwan would allow China to establish submarine bases on the island's east coast. Submarines could then reach the Pacific without crossing waters monitored by sensors linked to U.S. technical intelligence.