The Chinese nationalist newspaper Global Times said on his side that “with the presence of US soldiers in Taiwan, a red line was crossed.”
The president of Taiwan confirmed the presence of a small number of US troops to help train the island’s army, prompting a strong reaction from China.
“We firmly oppose any form of official exchanges and military contacts between the United States and Taiwan,” a spokesman for Chinese diplomacy, Wang Wenbin, said on Thursday.
In an editorial, the Chinese nationalist newspaper Global Times stated on its side that “with the presence of US soldiers in Taiwan, a red line was crossed.”
In an interview with the US network CNN recorded on Tuesday but broadcast on Wednesday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen described the island as a “beacon” of democracy in the region that faces its giant neighbor, whose threat grows ” every day”.
Earlier this month, a Pentagon source confirmed for the first time the presence of US troops in Taiwan, which Beijing considers an integral part of its territory.
But until now, no Taiwanese leader has publicly admitted such a presence since the last US garrison left the island in 1979 after China’s diplomatic recognition of the communist regime.
Asked how many US troops were in Taiwan, Tsai replied “not as many as people think.” “We have extensive cooperation with the United States to increase our defense capabilities,” he added.
Asking if she was relying on US help in the event of an attack from China, the Taiwanese president replied: “I have faith.”
In a speech to deputies on Thursday, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-Cheng elaborated on the issue. “We have personal exchanges and they are here for military cooperation. But this is different, by my definition, from having + troops stationed +, ”he said.
Strategic ambiguity
The United States and China have recently clashed over the fate of the island of 23 million people, which has its own government, currency and army, but which Beijing considers one of its provinces awaiting reunification.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden noted that the United States was “deeply concerned about China’s coercive and aggressive actions … in the Taiwan Strait.”
Tensions have risen as Chinese air raids have increased near this country.
Such actions “threaten regional peace and stability,” the US president added, according to a recording of his statements obtained by AFP.
The head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, also provoked the ire of Beijing by advocating on Tuesday for Taipei’s “meaningful participation” in United Nations (UN) organs and on the international stage.
“The exclusion of Taiwan undermines the important work of the UN and its agencies,” he insisted, stating that the contribution of that country is necessary to address “an unprecedented number of global challenges.”
“Taiwan has no right to participate in the UN,” Beijing immediately replied, through the spokesman for the Office of Taiwan Affairs, Ma Xiaoguang.
The sensitive Taiwan issue is likely to further fracture relations between the United States and China, which are at their lowest point in years. Last week, Biden seemed to want to send a new message of assertiveness to Beijing.
Asked about the possibility of a US military intervention to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China, President Biden answered affirmatively: “Yes, we have a commitment in that regard.”
His statement appeared to contradict the US “strategic ambiguity” stance. Under this scheme, Washington helps Taiwan to build and strengthen its defense, but without explicitly promising that it will come to its aid in case of attack.
Biden’s comments were not well received in Beijing and the US government clarified shortly after that it kept its policy under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act “unchanged”.
China considers Taiwan, the island to which Chang Kai-shek’s nationalists defeated on the mainland by Mao Tse Tung’s communists fled in 1949, to be a province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
“The one-China principle is the foundation of Sino-US relations,” Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Thursday. “The United States should not underestimate the strong determination of the Chinese people in defending their sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
