BEIJING, (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the United States Tuesday for changing its website regarding Taiwan. It stated that “political manipulation” would not be able to change the status quo at the Taiwan Strait.

Section on Taiwan on the State Department’s website has been updated to remove words on Taiwan independence, as well acknowledging Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part China.

China regards the democratically governed island as an unalienable territory.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing there was only one China and Taiwan is part of China. The People’s Republic of China represents the entire country.

He said that the United States is changing the fact sheet about Taiwan-U.S. ties to “play the trick of hollowing” the one China principle.

Zhao claimed that these acts of “political manipulation” to alter the status quo at the Taiwan Strait won’t succeed.

While the change in wording appears to have taken place on May 5, according to the dates at the top of this fact sheet, the news was not widely covered by Chinese and Taiwanese media.

Additionally, the State Department added language to the Six Assurances. This refers to six Reagan-era security guarantees given to Taiwan that were declassified by the United States in 2020.

The 1982 assurances, which were not previously made public, include the statements that the United States did not agree to a specific date to end arms sales from Taiwan nor to consult Beijing prior to such sales. Also, the statement that the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S.’s policy toward Taiwan, was not revised.

China claims Taiwan is its most important and sensitive issue with the United States.

The Taiwanese government has rejected Beijing’s claims of sovereignty and stated that only 23 million residents on the island can make decisions about their future.