RT.com
29 Sep 2022, 08:13 GMT+10
Washington anticipates ?aggressive behavior? from China but seeks to avoid Cold War with Beijing, US vice president said
The US administration intends to develop its "unofficial" ties with Taiwan despite China's fierce opposition, Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday. She also blasted Beijing for what she described as "aggressive behavior" in the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking to American sailors aboard a US warship in Japan, Harris lashed out at China, accusing Beijing of "undermining key elements of international rules-based order." China "has challenged the freedom of the seas and has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors," she noted.
Harris, in particular, accused Beijing of staging various "provocations" across the Taiwan Strait, an area where the US often deploys its Navy patrols. The vice president also believes that Beijing used the visit to Taipei of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in early August "as a pretext for an unprecedented show of military force."
In this vein, Harris signaled that, amid the heightened tensions in the region, the Biden administration expects "continued aggressive behavior from Beijing" in what she described as a unilateral Chinese effort to "undermine the status quo."
Harris pledged that the US would continue to "support Taiwan's self-defense" and "deepen our unofficial ties" with the self-governed island, stressing, however, that Washington does not seek a Cold War with China.
Her comments come after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned last week that such a conflict would be a "disaster" for both countries and for the whole world, adding that Washington's perception of Beijing as its most prominent rival in the long-term is totally unwarranted.
The regional tensions have been running high since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan in a show of support. Beijing, however, views a visit by Washington's second-in-line for presidential succession as a violation of the 'One China' principle by Washington and believes it is detrimental for Sino-US relations.
Beijing considers Taiwan sovereign Chinese territory. Since 1949, the island has been ruled by nationalists, who fled the mainland with US help after losing the Chinese Civil War to the Communists. The US officially recognizes but doesn't endorse China's sovereignty over the self-governed island.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Maryland Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Maryland Leader.
More InformationANCHORAGE, Alaska: Anchorage is struggling to find housing options for more than 3,000 homeless residents, as the city's mass shelter ...
SEOUL, South Korea: Thousands of South Korean educators and school staff gathered in Seoul over the weekend to demand increased ...
WARSAW, Poland: As part of European Union (EU) sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Poland banned all ...
MONTGOMERY, Alabama: Last week, Alabama's school chief, Superintendent Eric Mackey, said that under new reading benchmarks to move to fourth ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Last week, the Federal Reserve said its losses surpassed the US$100 billion mark and will likely continue to ...
ARLINGTON, Virginia: This week, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of drone-related munitions and other systems to Canada ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks and bonds caught on to a global trend Thursday as sellers took charge ...
CHICAGO, Illinois: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and the Chicago Federation of Musicians announced over the weekend that they agreed ...
ANKARA, Turkey: During a meeting, Michael Evans, President of the Alibaba Group, told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the Chinese ...
NEW YORK: This week, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla and Saudi Arabia ...
NEW YORK, New York - Interest rates could stay higher for longer, but there is the possibility of rate cuts ...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Days before the Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, is expected to again raise interest rates, the Swedish krona hit ...