As we’ve been reporting, one of the main items expected to be on the agenda for the Chinese and American leaders during their ongoing talks is the thorny topic of Taiwan.
The key thing to understand here is that there’s a debate over the status of the island.
China views Taiwan as a renegade province which is destined to one day be reunited with the mainland – by force if needed.
However, Taiwan has many characteristics of an independent state. It’s a self-ruled democracy, and people there see themselves as being separate from Beijing – whether or not independence is ever officially declared.
The United States has long tried to walk a tightrope. Officially, it only recognises the government in Beijing. However, President Biden has repeatedly said the US would defend Taiwan if Beijing’s troops ever invaded. The White House has always looked to walk back his comments.
Tensions have been building recently – and peaked in August when Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited Taiwan. China responded with large-scale military drills nearby.
Source: BBC.com