[Epoch Times, August 31, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu reported) On Tuesday (August 30), Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen ordered that the Taiwan military can take “strong countermeasures” in due course to the CCP’s provocations. Taiwan’s first live ammunition drive away a Chinese drone. Both the White House and the State Department responded to the incident.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a reporter’s question at a regular briefing whether the United States was concerned about the escalation of the situation in the Taiwan Strait. She reiterated that the US side’s policy towards Taiwan will remain unchanged and will implement the one-China policy.
She also said that under the one-China policy, the United States will continue to conduct freedom of flight and navigation operations, including transit in the waters and airspace of the Taiwan Strait.
Jean-Pierre added that the US will deepen relations with Taiwan, including continuing to advance bilateral economic and trade relations. She mentioned the ambitious roadmap for negotiations on the US-Taiwan 21st Century Trade Initiative.
On the issue of communication with Beijing. She said she will continue to call on Beijing to reopen the channel, not for the United States, but based on what the world demands and is responsible for.
Vedant Patel, chief deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, was asked the same question during a Tuesday press conference call. “I think it’s important to take a step back here,” Patel said. “Over the past few weeks, China has overreacted and provoked, while the U.S. and the rest of the region have been restrained and responsible.”
“We are clear on the surface that it is important not to escalate and there is no reason to cause a crisis. We also reiterate that we intend to continue operating in the region in accordance with international law, and we will continue to support Taiwan and maintain open lines of communication with Beijing,” he said. .
When answering a reporter’s question about whether the CCP’s actions to escalate the situation were due to the convening of the 20th National Congress, Patel said that he would not speculate on the CCP’s intentions, but he reiterated that the United States did not intend to escalate the situation or cause any crisis, and certainly not It intends to change the long-standing “one China” policy.
In early August, after the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the CCP held large-scale military exercises around Taiwan for several days.
Taiwan’s Kinmen Defense Command said late Tuesday that a CCP drone flew into the restricted waters of the “two-dangerous area” at 5:59 p.m. Live ammunition was fired to drive away, and then the drone flew in the direction of Xiamen.
Speaking earlier on Tuesday during a visit to the Penghu Islands armed forces, Tsai Ing-wen criticized China’s drones for incessant harassment and China’s war activities in other “gray areas.” She said she had ordered the Defense Ministry to take “necessary and strong countermeasures” in due course to defend Taiwan’s airspace.
The Biden administration plans to formally ask Congress to approve a roughly $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan that includes 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, three people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
On this issue, Jean-Pierre and Patel media revealed more information, but both said that the United States will fully fulfill its commitments under the “Taiwan Relations Act” and support Taiwan’s self-defense.
Responsible editor: Ye Ziwei#