“I see no imminent invasion of Taiwan by China,” says US Defense Secretary
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he saw no imminent Chinese invasion of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) but said Beijing was trying to establish a “new normal” with its military activities around Taiwan.
The Pentagon chief said in an interview that aired on CNN on Sunday, “I don’t see any imminent invasion.”
“What we are seeing is that China is on the verge of establishing what we would call a new normal. Increased activity – we have seen a number of their planes crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
This number has increased over time. We have seen more activity with their surface ships and waters in and around Taiwan,” the Pentagon chief added.
China has sovereignty over Taipei and, under the internationally recognized One-China policy, nearly all countries recognize that sovereignty, which means they renounce diplomatic contacts with the secessionist Taipei government.
The United States also adheres to this principle, but in spite of its own policies and in an attempt to antagonize Beijing, Washington is fraternizing the secessionist government in Taipei, supporting its anti-Chinese stance and supplying huge quantities of weapons.
Austin also said Washington will continue to work with its allies and partners “to ensure the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The United States, Austin said, is working to reopen military communication channels with China, something crucial for both countries.
He said he communicated by telephone and in person with his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who agreed that open communication is important.
“We will do everything possible to continue to signal that we want to open those channels and I hope that China will step forward and work with us,” he said.
In retaliation for a visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August, China halted cooperation with Washington in a number of areas, including dialogue between senior military commanders.
The visit prompted large-scale Chinese military drills around the island territory – as well as a statement by US President Joe Biden to defend Taiwan.
Enjoyed a productive meeting with MP Klaus-Peter Willsch & his @Bundestag delegation. We are deeply grateful for #Germany‘s support for #Taiwan‘s international participation & look forward to building on our bilateral values-based partnership. pic.twitter.com/ltBeejbpnn
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) October 3, 2022
