China is a steadfast supporter of Sudan and South Sudan, which gained independence in July after decades of civil war with the north, and Chinese officials have been trying to mediate between the two Sudans.
In the past, pushes for independence have irritated China and worried Washington, Taiwan's steadfast ally and its supplier of military hardware.
Ever since President Harry Truman recognized Israel's sovereignty on the same day it declared independence in May 1948, the United States has been a steadfast ally of the Jewish state, lending successive governments a steady stream of financial, diplomatic and military support.
The Record, previously steadfast for maintaining the union, appeared to support a move towards independence with its "EU go girl" front page headline.
As we celebrate America's independence, we can best express our patriotism by uniting together in steadfast solidarity against bigotry and xenophobia.
From the base of our most sacred document, the Declaration of Independence, to the apex of our place in the world, when we were, not that long ago, a steadfast beacon of welcoming, the American journey was freighted with uncertainty, perfidy, disunion, avarice, and inhumanity.
"We will help the T.N.C. sustain its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya," Mrs. Clinton said, "and we will look to it to remain steadfast in its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms".
A poet and steadfast Chechen nationalist, he took part in the negotiations with President Boris N. Yeltsin that ended the war later that year, giving Chechnya de facto independence.
