The US has reaffirmed its support for Taiwan after China sent warplanes to the island in an apparent attempt to intimidate the democratic government and test US determination.
BEIJING – The US has confirmed its support for Taiwan after China sent warplanes to the island in an apparent attempt to intimidate the Democratic government and test US determination.
The State Department said Saturday it “notes with concern the pattern of continued (Chinese) attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan.”
“We urge Beijing to end its military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives,” spokesman Ned Price said in the statement.
Washington will continue to strengthen ties with Taiwan and ensure its defense against Chinese threats, while supporting a peaceful resolution of problems between the parties, the statement said.
There was no immediate Chinese response on Sunday.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said China sent eight nuclear-powered bombers and four fighter jets to airspace just southwest of the island on Saturday, part of a long-standing pattern of Chinese raids aimed at pressuring President Tsai’s government. Ing-wen to caving. Beijing’s demand that it recognize Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.
The latest Chinese flight came on the heels of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, highlighting the island’s enduring position in the arsenal of divisive issues between the parties, including human rights, trade disputes and, most recently, questions about initial response from the parties. China on the coronavirus pandemic. .
Biden’s government has shown little sign of easing pressure on China over such issues, although it is seen as a proponent of a return to a more civil dialogue. In another sign of support for Taiwan, the island’s de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, was an invited guest at Biden’s inauguration.
And in a final swipe at China, the outgoing UN ambassador to the Trump administration tweeted that it is time for the world to oppose China’s attempts to exclude and isolate Taiwan, and was harshly criticized by Beijing.
Ambassador Kelly Craft accompanied the tweet with a photo of herself in the UN General Assembly where the island is banned. She was carrying a handbag with a stuffed Taiwanese bear sticking out of the top, a gift from Taiwan’s representative in New York, Ambassador James Lee.
Taiwan and China divorced in 1949 in the midst of civil war, and China says it is determined to bring the island under its control by force if necessary. The US switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but is legally bound to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself and that the self-governing Democratic Island in Washington enjoys strong bipartisan support.
Tsai has tried to bolster the island’s defenses with the purchase of billions of dollars in US weapons, including upgraded F-16 fighter jets, armed drones, missile systems and harpoon missiles capable of hitting ships as well as land targets. She has also stepped up support for Taiwan’s indigenous arms industry, including launching a program to build new submarines to counter China’s ever-expanding naval capabilities.
China’s increased threat comes as its economic and political temptations bear little fruit, leading it to host war games almost daily and send fighter jets and reconnaissance planes to the island of 24 million people, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) from southeast China. coast across the Taiwan Strait.