Only 51 countries stick to Beijing policyWORDS MATTER: While 16 countries ‘acknowledge’ China’s claims over Taiwan, nine said they ‘recognize’ the claims and some said they ‘respect’ Beijing’s claimsBy Yang Cheng-yu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerOnly 51 countries, not 180 as claimed by Beijing, adhere to its “one China” principle, a study by a Singaporean researcher showed. In a paper published on Thursday, National University of Singapore assistant professor Chong Ja Ian (莊嘉穎) wrote that only 51 countries fully comply with the principle as Beijing defines it. The US’ “one China” policy says it “recognizes” China’s position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, while 14 countries cited are Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. The remaining countries in the report make no clear reference to Taiwan’s sovereignty in their official documents. It has been Washington’s long-standing policy not to take a position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, but US officials rarely address its stance publicly.

Source: Taipei Times February 12, 2023 22:12 UTC