Biden: We do not support Taiwan's independence

(Patria) - US President Joe Biden said that the country does not support Taiwan's independence, after Taiwanese voters gave the ruling party on the island a third presidential term.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken added that the US remains committed to peace and security in the region, Hina reports.

Earlier in the day, the presidential candidate of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, won the presidential election, despite China's calls not to elect him, and promised to confront Beijing, but also to seek negotiations.

- We do not support independence... - Biden said, when asked for a reaction to today's Taiwanese elections.

- The US is committed to maintaining peace and stability on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and to the peaceful resolution of differences - Blinken stated.

Hours before the polls opened, Washington warned that it would be "unacceptable" for "any" country to interfere in these elections.

Taiwan, an island that China considers its own, has been a democratic success story since the first direct presidential elections were held in 1996, culminating decades of struggle against authoritarian rule.

The United States is Taiwan's most important international patron and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the island.

Biden's administration feared that the elections and the new government would escalate the conflict with Beijing.

Biden is working to improve relations with China, including agreeing to discuss security differences at a summit in California with President Xi Jinping in November.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office announced today that the victory of the candidate of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, in the elections will not change the fundamental contours of the island's relations with mainland China.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Moscow still views Taiwan as an integral part of China.