The Taiwanese navy ships docked Thursday at Keelung Port, near one of the areas where China planned to conduct exercises. France-Presse / Getty Images.
On Thursday, the White House summoned the Chinese ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, a condemn the “provocative” measures taken by Beijing against Taiwan and reiterate that the United States does not want a crisis in the region, according to press reports.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a statement published by Washington Post that the summoning of the diplomat came after the Chinese authorities had started theirs live fire maneuvers around Taiwan, in response to the visit to the island by the president of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi visited Taiwan on Wednesday despite protests from Beijing, which responded with the launch of live-fire military exercises that caused the closure of sea and air space in six areas of the island, which it was practically blocked.
“After China’s actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to protest the provocative actions of the People’s Republic of China,” said Kirby, who considered “irresponsible” the “military actions” of the People’s Republic of China.
The spokesman assured that for the White House, China’s response to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, an island that Beijing considers a rebellious province, is “irresponsible and contrary” to its goal of “to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
The White House also reiterated to Ambassador Qin that its recognition policy of “one China” stands stillas well as its intention to keep all diplomatic lines of communication open.
As part of the Chinese military exercises, which take place by sea and by air, Japan has reported five ballistic missiles launched from Beijing have landed in the waters of its exclusive economic zonewhich had not happened until now.
suspension of dialogue
In turn, China has announced the paralysis or suspension of open talks with the United States on ranging issues from climate change and military relations to the fight against drugsall in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan this week.
This measure is the latest in a series of actions promised by Beijing to punish Washington for allowing visits to an island that the Chinese authorities believe is part of its territory and should be annexed. by force if necessary. It also coincides with the Chinese army’s live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait, which began the day after Pelosi’s visit.
The Chinese government explained that the dialogue between the area commanders and the heads of the defense departments will be canceled, as well as talks on maritime safety. Cooperation in the repatriation of migrants without legal permits, transactional crimes, drug trafficking and climate change will be suspended, he added.
Separately, China has announced unspecified sanctions against Pelosi and his family. These types of actions usually have a symbolic.
The islanders are largely in favor of keeping the status quo of de facto independence and rejecting Beijing’s demands for unification.
Antony Blinken spoke about China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait are “provocative actions” and represent a “significant escalation” that “no justification”and stressed that Washington never wanted to “provoke a crisis”.
“China has chosen to overreact. There is no justification for this extreme and disproportionate response, “Blinken said during a press conference in Phnom Penh, where he is attending the ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to date.
According to the US Secretary of State, China took advantage of Pelosi’s visit, of which it was informed, “as pretext to increase its provocative military activity“in and around the Taiwan Strait.
Blinken assured that the United States has not changed anything in its policy regarding Taiwan and so on it does not pursue a change in the status quo of the island nor does it support its independence.
Taiwan, with which the US does not have official relations, is a major source of conflict between China and the US, mainly because Washington is the island’s main arms supplier and would be its greatest military ally in the event of a conflict with the Asian giant.
Sources: EFE and AP.
Source: Clarin
