FILE – Taiwan’s first team of artillerywomen pose for the press during the annual Han Kuang exercise in Pingtung
Highlight
- Biden said on Monday that Washington is ready to join militarily to defend Taiwan
- Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Monday
- Biden reaffirms Washington’s commitment to ensuring security of the Taiwan Strait
US President Joe Biden said Washington would intervene militarily if Beijing tried to reunite with Taiwan by force, China announced on Wednesday in military drills around the island. Even after decades of separate rule, China continues to consider Taiwan as its province. Chinese President Xi Jinping also threatened to take over the island if needed.
“The recent patrolling and training exercises by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around the island of Taiwan were necessary actions against collusion between Taiwan and the United States,” Xinhua news agency quoted a Chinese defense spokesman as saying on Wednesday.
National Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said the PLA Eastern Theater Command recently conducted a joint battle-readiness warning patrol and combat training exercise involving troops from several services and weapons in the waters and airspace surrounding the island of Taiwan. was organized.
“These are actions necessary in line with the need to target collusion between Taiwan and the United States and to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Tan said.
Demands for “Taiwan independence” are doomed to fail, and so by supporting such actions, Tan said, by playing the “Taiwan card” to include China, the United States is jeopardizing the situation. Is.
He added that the PLA is on high alert and ready to take all necessary measures to completely thwart any outside interference and separatist efforts for “Taiwan independence”.
Biden’s statement on China-Taiwan
The strong reaction from China came after Biden said on Monday that Washington was ready to join militarily to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion.
Biden on Monday met with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to advance cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues.
During a joint press conference with the Japanese PM, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to ensure the security of the Taiwan Strait and to unilaterally prevent any change in the status quo.
Asked if the US was ready to engage militarily to defend Taiwan, he replied in the affirmative, saying it was a commitment the US made.
“We are committed to supporting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The United States stands firmly with Japan and other countries not to allow this to happen (China occupied Taiwan),” he said.
(with inputs from ANI)
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