U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris condemned “disturbing” actions by China in the Pacific on Wednesday while pledging to deepen “unofficial ties” with Taiwan, days after the U.S. administration pledged its forces would defend the island.
Harris made her remarks on the deck of the USS Howard destroyer during a visit to the largest overseas U.S. Navy installation in the world at Yokosuka, near the Japanese capital.
China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order,” said Harris, who is on a four-day trip to Asia.
“China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbours. And we have witnessed disturbing behaviour in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait.”
The remarks to American sailors wearing dress whites come after U.S. President Joe Biden pledged in an interview aired on Sept. 18 to defend the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan against an “unprecedented attack”.
The U.S. subscribes to a “one China” policy that formally recognises only Beijing but binds the U.S. government to provide democratically ruled Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
China says Taiwan is one of its provinces. It has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s 23 million people can decide its future.
The U.S. subscribes to a “one China” policy that formally recognises only Beijing but binds the U.S. government to provide democratically ruled Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
China says Taiwan is one of its provinces. It has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so.
Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s 23 million people can decide its future. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited to Taiwan in August, infuriating China, which then carried out its largest-ever military exercises around the island.
Harris said U.S. forces would operate in the region “undaunted and unafraid” even as the United States expects “continued aggressive” actions by China.
“We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo,” she said. “And we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defence, consistent with our long-standing policy. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good – from technology to health, and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties.”
Wang Wenbin, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular media briefing that the United States needed to return to the one China policy and “unequivocally make clear that it opposes all Taiwan separatist activities”.
