“Taiwan is one of the very few issues that may bring China and the United States into conflict or even war,” Jing Quan, minister of the Chinese embassy in Washington, told reporters during a mock news conference on Friday. Given the sensitive nature of the issue, he argued that “extra caution and a sense of responsibility are necessary when it comes to Taiwan.” “The right way for China and the US to get along is to follow the spirit of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, avoiding conflict and win-win cooperation,” Jing said. “But it requires joint efforts on both sides.” Footage released on August 5 shows members of the People’s Liberation Army Navy taking part in China’s largest-scale exercises around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to the disputed island. Eastern Theater Command/Chinese People’s Liberation Army Chinese officials have accused the US of eroding its commitments to the One China policy, established along with three joint communiqués that served as the basis for Washington’s relationship with Beijing. The US established diplomatic relations with China in 1979 and severed formal ties with Taiwan, although it has maintained informal relations in the form of political contacts and military support that have expanded in recent years. In the latest flare-up in already strained bilateral relations between Washington and Beijing, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan, which China continues to claim as part of its territory. After repeated warnings, China responded to the trip by staging its largest-ever People’s Liberation Army exercises in Taiwan, including air and sea exercises and live-fire launches that saw missiles fly over the disputed island. The US has called for calm and tried to downplay the visit by Pelosi, the first of its kind by a House speaker in 25 years, in an effort to avert a crisis. However, China has also reacted strongly on the diplomatic front, including canceling talks and meetings between the two militaries and suspending cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal cases, anti-transnational crimes, anti-narcotics and talks on climate change. Jing said Pelosi’s visit “has a serious impact on the political basis of China-US relations, seriously violates China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” Even as tensions rise, however, he called for a return to cooperation between the world’s two superpowers. “With COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine developing into protracted crises, it is time for China and the United States to strengthen cooperation and work with other countries to find solutions,” Jing said. “We should cooperate but not provoke the other side. “Instead, some politicians choose to harm China’s core interests, either to seek the limelight or to cement their political legacies,” he added. “Their actions will only erode China-US relations and put our people and militaries in dangerous situations.” And Jing argued that “it is the US that is provoking China and creating tension.” Speaking directly to Jing’s remarks, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said, however, that “it is the Chinese who have been making bellicose rhetoric and threats, it is the Chinese who are trying to escalate tensions and pressures and the military sphere. as some kind of pretext for escalating tensions.” Although many observers began to declare the situation the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis, Kirby claimed that the escalation was not justified. “We’re not looking for a crisis,” he added, “and frankly, there’s no need for a crisis.” This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
