U.S. Secretary of State John Blinken said Sunday (April 11) that it would be a “grave mistake” for the Chinese Communist authorities to attack Taiwan and expressed “real concern” about Beijing’s increasing intimidation of the country.
In an interview with NBC’s political program Meet the Press on Sunday, Blinken said, “What we’re seeing, and what we’re really concerned about, is that the Beijing government’s increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan are raising tensions in the strait.
Blinken emphasized that the United States has made a long-term commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure Taiwan’s ability to defend itself and maintain peace and security in the Western Pacific.
But when asked whether the United States would respond militarily if the Chinese Communist authorities seized Taiwan by force, Blinken declined to comment, saying instead that he would not comment on a “hypothetical.
“What I can tell you is that we have a serious commitment to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself,” he said. He said. He was referring to the U.S. obligation under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide weapons for Taiwan’s self-defense and “our serious commitment to peace and security in the Western Pacific.”
“In this case, trying to change the status quo by force would be a grave mistake for anyone.”
Since Biden took office, the Chinese Communist Party has been stepping up its military intimidation of Taiwan, especially recently, sending multiple military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone almost daily in a provocative manner. Some analysts see this as a test for the Biden administration to see if it will take concrete action in response.
The White House said on Friday that the U.S. is closely monitoring increasing Chinese Communist Party military activity in the Taiwan Strait, noting that Beijing’s actions could destabilize the region.
Also on Friday, the State Department issued new guidelines to enable U.S. officials to meet more freely with Taiwanese officials. The move deepens Washington’s relationship with Taipei and comes at a time when the Chinese Communist Party is stepping up its military activities around Taiwan.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the new guidelines follow a congressionally mandated review and will provide clear instructions on the effective implementation of the U.S. “One China” policy throughout the department.
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