WASHINGTON: The United States (US) has called on China to opt for diplomacy rather than military pressure on Taiwan after Beijing deployed warships following a meeting by the island’s leader with the US House speaker.
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that Washington continued to urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful diplomacy.
Patel acknowledged “differences” between the United States and China over Taiwan but said that the two powers have managed the situation for 40 years.
President Tsai Ing-wen met on Wednesday in California with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican who became the highest-ranking American to see a Taiwanese president on US soil since Washington switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
China, which had warned against the visit, deployed warships to the Taiwan Strait, although the initial reaction was less than when McCarthy’s predecessor, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, visited Taipei in August.
The United States characterized Tsai’s visit as a “transit” on her way to and from Latin America.
“There is no reason to turn this transit, which is consistent with longstanding US policy, into something that it’s not or to use it as a pretext to overreact,” Patel said. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication to prevent any miscalculation.
The recent tensions between China and Taiwan have increased since Tsai took office in 2016. Beijing considers Taiwan as a part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to reunify it.
The US is the most powerful ally of Taiwan and has increased its support in recent years, including arms sales, which have irked China.
US and China at odds on various issues
The US and China have been at odds on various issues, including trade, technology, and human rights.
The recent tensions between the two superpowers over Taiwan have further complicated the relationship. The US has repeatedly called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, while China has accused the US of interfering in its domestic affairs.
In conclusion, the US has urged China to choose diplomacy over pressure on Taiwan and to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against the island.
The recent deployment of Chinese warships to the Taiwan Strait has escalated tensions between the two countries, and the US has emphasized the need for open channels of communication to prevent any miscalculation.
