BEIJING (AP) – The United States has reaffirmed its support for Taiwan after sending warplanes across China to the island in an apparent attempt to intimidate its democratic government and test American resolve.
The State Department said on Saturday that it “looks with concern at the pattern of (China’s) continued attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan.”
“We urge Beijing to end its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives,” said spokesman Ned Price in the statement.
Washington will continue to deepen ties with Taiwan and ensure its defense against Chinese threats, while supporting a peaceful resolution of issues between the sides, the statement said.
There was no immediate Chinese response on Sunday.
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that China had sent eight bombers capable of transporting nuclear weapons and four fighter jets into airspace southwest of the island, part of an old pattern of Chinese incursions aimed at putting pressure on the president’s government. Tsai Ing-wen collapsing on Beijing’s demand that she recognize Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.
The last Chinese overflight came in the wake of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, emphasizing the island’s enduring position in a panoply of divisive issues between sides that also include human rights, trade disputes and, more recently, questions about China’s initial response to the pandemic. of the coronavirus.
The Biden government has shown little sign of easing pressure on China on these issues, although it appears to favor a return to more civil dialogue. In another sign of support for Taiwan, the island’s de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, was a guest in Biden’s possession.
And in a final blow to China, the Trump administration’s ambassador to the UN tweeted that it is time for the world to oppose China’s efforts to exclude and isolate Taiwan, drawing strong criticism from Beijing.
Ambassador Kelly Craft followed the tweet with a photo of herself in the UN General Assembly Hall, where the island is banned. She carried a bag with a Taiwanese teddy bear sticking out of the top, a gift from Taiwan’s representative in New York, Ambassador James Lee.
Taiwan and China split in the midst of a civil war in 1949 and China says it is determined to force the island under its control, if necessary. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but is legally obliged to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself and that the autonomous democratic island enjoys strong bipartisan support in Washington.
Tsai sought to bolster the island’s defenses by purchasing billions of dollars in American weapons, including F-16 fighters, armed drones, rocket systems and Harpoon missiles capable of hitting both ships and ground targets. It also increased support for Taiwan’s native weapons industry, including launching a program to build new submarines to contain China’s growing naval capabilities.
China’s growing threats come as economic and political attractions bear little fruit, prompting it to stage war games and send fighter jets and reconnaissance planes almost daily to the island of 24 million people, 100 miles away (100 miles) southeast China coast through the Taiwan Strait.