U.S. State Department Website No Longer Uses the PRC’s Official Name; CCP Strongly Displeased

On July 27, 2023, the U.S. State Department building. (Madalina Vasiliu / Dajiyuan)

People News - Recently, the U.S. State Department’s official website underwent a routine update, revising its factual statements regarding U.S.-China relations. The update emphasizes U.S.-China economic and trade ties as well as strategic competition, while removing content on providing aid to Mainland China in areas such as culture and the environment. Two points in the updated content have attracted attention. First, the description of U.S.-Taiwan relations has been revised—not only was the phrase “We do not support Taiwan independence” removed, but a new statement was added declaring that “The United States will support Taiwan’s participation in ‘appropriate’ international organizations.” Second, on the “China Overview” page, the term “People’s Republic of China” (PRC) has been replaced with simply “China.”

Additionally, the updated page frequently references the 'Chinese Communist Party (CCP)' and emphasizes Washington's commitment to countering the CCP's malicious cyber attacks against the U.S. government. In contrast, the term 'CCP' was not used in the descriptions during the previous administration. This has led observers to interpret that the United States is beginning to distinguish between the CCP and China, thereby highlighting the fundamental conflict between the Communist Party and the Chinese people.

On the evening of the 16th local time, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department sent an email indicating that this update is part of routine operations.

However, some historians have voiced differing opinions regarding the content updated on the State Department's website. They argue that the correct abbreviation for the People's Republic of China should be derived from its three characters: 'Zhonggongguo' (中共国), and it should not be referred to simply as China. This is because 'China' was originally an abbreviation for the Republic of China. Since its establishment in 1912, the Republic of China has commonly used the abbreviation 'China' until its withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971. Due to the CCP's aggressive promotion of its narrative and cognitive warfare, it has become customary to refer to it as 'Taiwan' or 'Hua'. This is the origin of the CCP's so-called 'Taiwan independence' and 'restoration of UN status'. In reality, the Republic of China has never pursued Taiwan independence; it was the only legitimate government of China before the CCP, and the United Nations was also established by the Republic of China, with no connection to the CCP, which has no 'restoration' issue.

Regarding the U.S. State Department's modification of its statements, this is fundamentally an internal matter for the United States. The CCP, which has always claimed not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, has reacted strongly, issuing statements that are hard for the world to ignore: 'strong dissatisfaction, resolute opposition.'

During a routine press conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China on the 20th, a Reuters reporter raised related issues and requested comments from the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs'. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun vehemently criticized the U.S. State Department for altering the 'U.S.-China Relations' page and the 'U.S.-China Relations Fact Sheet', accusing it of distorting facts and slandering China's (Communist Party of China) foreign policy. He urged the U.S. to stop misleading the American public and the international community, and to cease its smear campaigns and pressure tactics.

A Bloomberg reporter had also inquired about this issue two days prior, asking whether the Communist Party of China had discussed with the U.S. regarding the removal of the statement 'not supporting Taiwan independence' from the U.S. State Department's website. Guo Jiakun absurdly asserted that the Communist Party of China forcibly represents all of China, claiming that history cannot be altered, facts cannot be denied, and right and wrong cannot be distorted, which he stated is a commitment made by the U.S.

What is the reality? The atheistic Communist Party of China is neither democratically elected nor divinely ordained in the traditional sense, yet it claims legitimacy. The damage inflicted by the Communist Party of China on China, its extravagant spending on the international stage, its ceding of territory, its various political movements, and its grandiose governance policies—none of these actions have been sanctioned by the Chinese people. The truth, history, and correctness indicate that the mainland is part of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China has pursued local independence on the territory of the Republic of China, seizing power. The fundamental principles of international law and international relations, along with the fact that the U.S. has never acknowledged the non-existence of the Republic of China, are also pertinent.

Distinguishing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from China and its people is a matter of life and death for the CCP. The party understands that if the Chinese people grasp the history of the CCP's entanglement with China, it will reveal the CCP's illegitimacy to the world. This realization would lead the Chinese people to abandon the Communist Party, resulting in the CCP's downfall. Consequently, the panic and aggressive tone displayed by the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs' are unmistakably evident.