China can lower Taiwan-related tensions by ending drills: US
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says China can mitigate soaring tensions over Taiwan by putting an end to its military drills.
-
US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby
The United States on Friday condemned China for the latter's ending of cooperation with the United States on various issues, such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks after Washington stubbornly made its way to Taiwan, breaching what Beijing sees as its sovereignty.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said China's decision to halt engagement on climate change and other issues was "fundamentally irresponsible."
"They think they're punishing us by shutting down this channel," he told reporters.
Beijing can "go a long way to taking the tensions down simply by stopping these provocative military exercises and ending the rhetoric."
In response to the visit, since Thursday, China has encircled the island with a series of huge military drills.
On Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry took more measures against Washington, suspending talks and cooperation on a number of agreements. The United States and China, two of the world's largest polluters, put their hands together last year to work together to accelerate climate action.
China had warned the United States that House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would bear numerous repercussions. China said Washington would "pay the price" if she visits Taiwan; yet, she did.
"The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed Tuesday during a regular press briefing.
The United States, however, is still making many accusations against China, claiming that the latter was "actually punishing the whole world because the climate crisis doesn't recognize geographic boundaries and borders."
"The world's largest emitter now is refusing to engage on critical steps necessary to combat the climate crisis, which actually impacts our partners from rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands and fires across Europe," Kirby claimed.
The US has become "the main destroyer" of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.
"This once again demonstrates that some American politicians are destroyers of Sino-US relations, whereas the US has become the primary destroyer of peace and regional stability between the two shores of the Taiwan Strait," he stressed.
