China accuses U.S. on Taiwan

China said on April 15 that recent United States comments about “military pressure” on Taiwan distorted the facts and showed “malicious intentions.” (usnews.com) The remark came from Beijing’s foreign ministry after American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said China should end its “threats and military pressure” and talk directly with Taiwan’s leaders. Greene’s comments were reported on April 12. (usnews.com) Greene heads the American Institute in Taiwan, the body that handles Washington’s unofficial ties with Taipei because the United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The State Department says the United States still maintains a “robust unofficial relationship” with Taiwan. (usnews.com) (state.gov) Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in United States-China relations because Beijing claims the self-governed island as its territory, while Washington opposes unilateral changes to the status quo and continues arms sales and other support. The Council on Foreign Relations said last month that Taiwan remains the likeliest flash point between the two powers. (cfr.org) (state.gov) The exchange follows months of public United States criticism of Chinese military activity near Taiwan. In a January 1 statement, the State Department said China’s military actions and rhetoric “increase tensions unnecessarily” and urged Beijing to “cease its military pressure against Taiwan.” (state.gov) Beijing has defended those operations as internal matters and says outside governments are encouraging separatism when they back Taiwan politically or militarily. Chinese officials repeated that line after large exercises around Taiwan in 2024 and again in 2026. (mfa.gov.cn) (state.gov) The wording fight also comes after an earlier dispute over the State Department’s Taiwan fact sheet. In February 2025, China said Washington should “correct its mistakes” after the page dropped language saying the United States did not support Taiwan independence, while the State Department called the change a routine update. (english.aawsat.com) (factcheck.afp.com) Neither side changed its formal position this week. Beijing again cast Taiwan as a sovereignty issue, and Washington’s public line remained that cross-strait differences should be managed without coercion or escalation. (usnews.com) (state.gov)