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Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Uong Van Ban – Screenshot from Chinanews
In response to U.S. Vice Foreign Minister Keith Krach’s visit to Taiwan from September 17 to 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Uong Van Ban said on September 21 that China firmly opposes any such official visit between the United States and Taiwan.
According to the Xinhua News AgencyUong said the visit, along with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar’s visit to Taiwan in August, was “a political provocation” against China and declared Beijing. will retaliate.
“China will apply appropriate retaliatory measures, including targeting the people involved,” Uong said at a press conference on Sept. 21, but did not provide details and warned of related actions. The US concerns “will further damage cooperation” between Beijing and Washington.
Mr. Uong emphasized, “We tell the United States that ‘Taiwan independence’ is a dead road. Tolerance and support for ‘independent Taiwan’ are doomed. China cannot be prevented.”
The situation between the Taiwan Strait and the United States-China relationship related to Taiwan has become increasingly tense in the context of increased cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, especially in the military arena.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory, so the official visit of senior US officials to Taiwan has sparked a backlash from Beijing. China urged the United States to “correct the mistakes,” Uong said, halting official visits and military cooperation with Taiwan.
Also on September 21, Taiwan said Taiwan’s defense forces have the right to self-defense and counterattack amid “harassment and intimidation.”
According to Reuters, this is clearly a warning sent to China, after Beijing last week deployed a series of military jets across the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.
