The United States said Thursday August 18 to expect Beijing to strengthen in the “weeks and months“to come its”coercion» military, economic and diplomatic on Taiwan.
“If our policy has not changed, what has changed is Beijing’s growing coercionsaid Daniel Kritenbrink, chief for East Asia at the State Department, during a conference call with reporters. Earlier this month, the Chinese military responded to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei with unprecedented drills in the air and waters of the Taiwan Strait. “These activities are part of an intense campaign of coercion … to intimidate and coerce Taiwan and undermine its resilience.“, analyzed Daniel Kritenbrink. And these pressures will continue in the “weeks and monthsto come, he added.
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Washington announced Thursday formal negotiations for a trade and investment agreement with Taiwan, in order to support this democracy, even if the United States does not maintain official relations with the government of Taipei. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has promised to regain it one day, by force if necessary, and is irritated at each diplomatic act advancing towards official recognition of the island. “(China’s) words and actions are deeply destabilizing. They risk causing miscalculations and threaten the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straitsaid Daniel Kritenbrink.
Taiwan presented its most advanced fighter jet on Wednesday in a rare nighttime demonstration, in the wake of military exercises in Beijing. The American diplomat assured that Washington would respond with “calm but resolute measuresto keep the Taiwan Strait open. A senior US Navy commander said this week that Washington and its allies should challenge China’s ballistic missile launches over Taiwan.
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