US official says Biden didn't refer to Taiwan as China 'core interest'

The words “core interests” were China's, not those of the United States, an official of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs told CNA on condition of anonymity.

The state-owned Xinhua news agency reported Aug. 18 that Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping told Biden in their two-hour talks that the Taiwan and Tibet issues concern China's core interests and the feelings of 1.3 billion Chinese, and should be handled prudently and properly to avoid damaging China-U.S. relations.

“Biden said the United States fully recognizes that issues related to Taiwan and Tibet are part of China's core interests,” the news agency wrote in its report.

“Biden also said the United States will firmly stand by the one-China policy and will not support 'Taiwan independence,' adding that the U.S. fully acknowledges that Tibet is an inalienable part of China,” Xinhua reported.

But the State Department official said the U.S. has never used the phrase “core interests” in reference to Taiwan. The comments attributed to Biden by Xinhua have not appeared in any press releases from the White House or State Department or in any reports by the international media that covered the talks between Biden and Xi.

Chinese authorities began publicly using the phrase “core interests” in 2009 in reference to a number of issues, ranging from national security and social and economic development to territorial matters that include Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. Beijing has said it will do whatever is necessary to protect its “core interests.”

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