China Exaggerates Taiwan Independence Claims to Justify Aggression, Lawmaker Says

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Nov 13, 2025 - 10:56 Updated: Nov 13, 2025 - 02:07
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China Exaggerates Taiwan Independence Claims to Justify Aggression, Lawmaker Says

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Beijing is hyping up rhetoric that Taiwan is seeking independence to rationalize its ambition to annex Taiwan, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told the Atlantic Council on Nov. 6.
Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, had a wide-ranging discussion during the event, including topics related to China and Taiwan, drawing on insights from his recent trip to China as head of a bipartisan congressional delegation.

“I don’t see the evidence that Taiwan is looking to be an independent nation and directly challenge China. I think China sort of plays that up as a justification for their more aggressive behavior,” Smith said.

He elaborated on Beijing’s stance, saying that “[China talks] about the fact that Taiwan is part of China. Independence [of Taiwan] would be horrible for them. I don’t really agree with that.”

China’s communist regime has intensified diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Taiwan since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2016 with the election of Tsai Ing-wen, who served two four-year terms. Beijing regards Tsai and her successor, current President Lai Ching-te, as “separatists” for their outspoken defense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Both Tsai and Lai have publicly affirmed that Taiwan is already an independent country, making a formal declaration of statehood unnecessary. Tsai made the statement during a BBC interview in January 2020, while Lai reiterated the position in a Bloomberg interview in August 2023.

In June, Lai reaffirmed his position during a speech to a Taiwan branch of Rotary International, declaring, “Taiwan is undoubtedly a country.” He criticized Beijing for lacking historical evidence and legal proof to support its sovereignty claims over the self-governing island.

The Smith-led congressional delegation spent five days in China during their September trip, which included Reps. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.). According to a press release, the lawmakers met with several senior Chinese officials, including Premier Li Qiang and Vice Premier He Lifeng.

RIMPAC

China is “very focused” on U.S. sales of weapons to Taiwan, Smith said.

“I did point out to them, if you would stop surrounding them periodically, looking like you’re going to invade them, then maybe we could have a conversation about that,” Smith said. “But part of our policy on Taiwan is to make sure that Taiwan can defend itself against a potential Chinese invasion.”

The United States and Taiwan are currently not diplomatic allies, since Washington severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979. That year, Congress enacted the Taiwan Relations Act, which is the basis of the bilateral relationship that includes the U.S. arms sales to help Taiwan maintain its self-defense.

Additionally, the United States has long upheld a “one-China policy,” which acknowledges that there is only one sovereign state called “China.” However, this policy differs from the “one-China principle,” under which the Chinese regime claims sovereignty over Taiwan.

China staged major military exercises encircling Taiwan twice in 2024, aiming to intimidate the Lai administration and sway public opinion.
In October, the Senate passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, which contains language that says the Pentagon chief is “strongly encouraged to invite the naval forces of Taiwan to participate” in the Rim of the Pacific exercise. The biennial exercise, known as RIMPAC in short, was last held in 2024, involving 29 countries.

The possible invitation to Taiwan can be seen as a signal of international support and deterrence against China, Smith said.

“I certainly think that a part of it is to try to build an alliance and to show China that it’s not just Taiwan, it’s not just the U.S., but there are other nations that are also going to be there to help Taiwan defend itself,” Smith said. “So don’t attack.”

On Oct. 30, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Since the meeting, the two sides have taken actions, including slashing tariffs to reduce bilateral tension.

As for Beijing’s view toward Washington, Smith believes there is a bit of a divide within the Chinese regime, with some driven by “a genuine desire to calm tensions.”

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