Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday (April 11) that the United States is very concerned about aggressive actions by the Chinese Communist Party against Taiwan. He also warned that anyone trying to change the status quo in the Western Pacific by force would be making a “grave mistake.
“What we’re seeing, and what we’re really concerned about, is the increasing aggressive actions of the Beijing government against Taiwan, which is increasing tensions in the (Taiwan) Strait.” Blinken said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.
The United States has a longstanding commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure Taiwan’s ability to defend itself and to maintain peace and security in the Western Pacific.
When Blinken was asked whether the U.S. would respond militarily if the Chinese Communist Party were to act against Taiwan, he declined to comment specifically on the hypothetical question. But he said, “What I can tell you is that we have a serious commitment to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself, and we have a serious commitment to peace and security in the Western Pacific. We stand firm on those commitments. Anyone who tries to change the current status quo by force in this situation would be making a grave mistake.”
The situation in the Taiwan Strait has become increasingly tense in recent months. Recently, not only has the Chinese Communist Party sent an aircraft carrier to Taiwan for naval exercises, but Communist military aircraft have been encroaching on Taiwan’s air defense identification zone almost daily. The White House said Friday (April 9) that the U.S. will closely monitor increased Chinese Communist Party military activity in the Taiwan Strait and said Beijing’s recent actions could destabilize the region.
On Wednesday (April 7), the State Department warned of increasingly overreaching moves by the Chinese Communist Party toward the Philippines and Taiwan, stressing that the U.S. has obligations to its own partners. State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed “concern” about the Chinese Communist Party’s intimidation campaign against Taiwan, saying the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock solid.
Price cited the Taiwan Relations Act, under which the United States is obligated to provide Taiwan with defenses against the Chinese Communist Party.
“Under long-standing U.S. policy, as reflected in the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States retains the ability to resist any force or other coercive action that could endanger the security of the people of Taiwan, their social or economic systems.” He said.
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