China opposes Biden’s repeated claims US would defend Taiwan: Embassy
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Beijing urges Washington to keep its commitments and abide by the One-China principle as well as the three Sino-US joint communiques.
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The Chinese Embassy in Washington (CGTN)
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a statement to Sputnik on Monday that it expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition to President Joe Biden's continued statements that the United States would defend Taiwan from Chinese forces.
Biden said during an interview with CBS News on Sunday that US forces would defend Taiwan if China carried out an attack against the island.
"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the remarks by the US side. The US president has made such remarks several times and every time the administration would clarify that there is no change in its policy on Taiwan," Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu indicated.
Matters concerning Taiwan are purely China’s internal affair that requires no foreign interference, Liu stressed, affirming that China has no room for compromise or concession regarding issues concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Chinese spokesperson underlined that Beijing urges Washington to keep its commitments and abide by the One-China principle as well as the three Sino-US joint communiques that are the basis of bilateral relations.
Beijing also urges Washington to honor its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" as well as avoid sending any wrong signal to Taiwan’s separatist forces in order to avoid seriously undermining US-China relations and peace across the Taiwan Strait, Liu added.
During Sunday's interview, Biden said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping both agree with the One China policy. However, the US President also claimed that Taiwan forms its own opinion with respect to pursuing independence but the United States is not encouraging it to be independent.
CBS News followed up on Biden's interview and asked the White House about the President's remarks regarding Taiwan. The White House replied by saying again that the United States' policy on Taiwan has not changed.
China urges the US to stop playing the 'Taiwan card'
It is noteworthy that on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning called on the US to stop playing the "Taiwan card" in an attempt to contain China, vowing that Beijing will safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity by taking the necessary measures whenever needed.
Mao called on Washington to stop considering the US draft law on Taiwan, stressing that "China will take all necessary measures in light of the bill’s process and final outcome to firmly safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The spokesperson further noted that "if the bill continues to be deliberated, pushed forward or even become law, it will greatly shake the political foundation of China-US relations and cause extremely serious consequences to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
"There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory," Mao affirmed, adding that "no country, no force, and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation."
Washington backs bill to treat Taiwan as 'equivalent to foreign govts'
This comes after the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee pushed forward Thursday the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which will provide Taiwan with $4.5 billion in security aid and a $2 billion loan guarantee for the purchase of military equipment.
The bill will provide Taiwan with aid over four years, in addition to designating the island as a "Major Non-NATO Ally."
In addition, the legislation will also direct the US government to engage with the Taiwanese government as a legitimate representative of the population on the island, prohibiting restrictions and limits regarding engagements between US officials and their Taiwanese counterparts.
War between China, Taiwan unlikely, but US could change things: Expert
In a similar context, Guo Xinning, a senior researcher at Taihe Institute, had told reporters that the likelihood that the People’s Liberation Army of China and Taiwanese separatists will be engaged in hostilities over the next few years is low, but the current administration of the island and the US have the potential to provoke unpredictable consequences.
"Over the next few years, the likelihood of a large-scale war in the Taiwan Strait is small, but if the separatists in Taipei, together with the United States, persist in taking steps in the wrong direction, it’s likely that the Chinese government will take decisive measures," Guo indicated in an interview.
The analyst said that China will adhere to a peaceful path to achieve Taiwan's reunification with the mainland.
"If the separatists in Taipei and external forces do not escalate the situation in the Taiwan Strait, everything will be stable," he said.
Guo considered that "With regard to [US House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi's recent provocative visit to Taiwan, China has shown a high degree of responsibility in terms of maintaining regional stability, demonstrating maximum restraint. That’s because we hope for peace and seek to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully."
The situation around Taiwan escalated following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contacts with the island.
Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.
