Obama supports one-China policy

SHANGHAI, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama, speaking in Shanghai, said Monday the United States would continue to support a one-China policy, Xinhua reported.

"I have been clear in the past the United States supports a one-China policy. We do not want to change that policy or approach," Obama was quoted as saying.

The president also said he was "very pleased" with the reduction of tensions and improvement of the cross-strait relations between China, a Communist nation of 1.32 billion people, and Taiwan, an island republic of 23 million people 113 miles off the China coast. China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of World War II.

One-China policy is matter of utmost importance to Beijing, which has never renounced its sovereign claim on Taiwan, although the two countries have had separate governments for six decades. During these years, there have been tense moments stemming from Chinese military threats against Taiwan.

Relations between the two have improved since Ma Ying-jeou became Taiwan's president in May 2008. Ma has sought to put China-Taiwan relations on a more even keel.