[ad_1]
Keith Krach, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, arrived in Taiwan late Thursday native time, and can symbolize the US on the memorial service for former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui on Saturday.
Yinan He, an affiliate professor on the Department of International Relations at Lehigh University, mentioned that Lee had been the primary Taiwan chief to float the concept of the island being a separate distinct entity from mainland China.
“That makes him No. 1 or No. 2 most-hated person on Beijing’s list for Taiwan. So by paying tribute to this person the Trump administration is really poking Beijing in the eye,” she mentioned.
The US State Department introduced Thursday that Krach was on his method to Taiwan for the memorial service, however did not give any additional data on his schedule or his plans whereas in Taipei. “As Taiwan’s first democratically elected president, Lee ushered in a new era of democracy, economic prosperity, openness, and rule of law,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus mentioned on her official Twitter account.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin mentioned Thursday that the US and Taiwan should “immediately stop” official exchanges. “China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan. This position is consistent and clear,” added Wang.
Military tensions rise
Krach’s visit comes as Beijing has been ramping up military pressure on Taiwan, holding drills in waters shut to the island and flying fighter jets into airspace claimed by Taipei.
On Friday, China’s Ministry of Defense introduced new military workouts in the Taiwan Strait, which spokesman Ren Guoqiang referred to as “a legitimate and necessary action” in response to warming US-Taiwan relations.
“Whether [the purpose of the liaison] is to use Taiwan to control China, or for Taiwan to rise based on foreign power, it is doomed to be a dead end. Those who play with fire will burn themselves,” Ren mentioned at a press convention.
It is simply the newest in a collection of Chinese military workouts which have been held round Taiwan in the previous few weeks. On Wednesday, lower than 24 hours earlier than Krach left for Taiwan, two Y-8 Anti-Submarine Aircraft flew two sorties into Taiwan’s Southwest Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), in accordance to the island’s Defense Ministry.
Taiwan’s military ordered the two planes to depart the island’s airspace earlier than dispatching plane to monitor them.
“These military actions have seriously roiled Taiwan and threaten peace and stability in the region,” Vice Defense Minister Chang Che-ping mentioned at a information convention. Taiwan’s information company CNA mentioned that about 30 planes had taken half in the drills, crossing into Taiwan’s ADIZ not less than 21 instances.
Ma mentioned that China was ready to meet any interference in Taiwan’s affairs or makes an attempt at independence with “firm will, full confidence and sufficient capabilities.”
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink