Washington watchful of ‘unpredictable’ Beijing response to Taiwan election
- US delegation will visit Taipei after Saturday’s poll to make clear to new administration what the one-China policy ‘is and is not’
- Official stresses that the United States has repeatedly communicated to Beijing that it is not taking sides
The official, who declined to be identified, added that the US will send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan shortly after the election. Beijing should not view this as anything out of the ordinary, given a host of past such visits involving former US officials, she said.
The senior administration official told reporters that Washington has communicated repeatedly to Beijing that it is not taking sides, does not have a preferred candidate and expects Beijing not to hinder Taiwan’s fourth transition involving democratically elected administrations since 1996.
“Beijing will be the provocateur should it choose to respond with additional military pressure or coercion,” she said. “It is no secret, I think, that Beijing has views on the outcome of the election and is trying to shape and coerce in various different ways.”
Taiwanese officials and analysts have accused mainland China of deploying a broad range of tools in recent weeks to pressure voters into supporting candidates who favour unification, including balloon flights over the island, stepped up fighter jet and maritime exercises in the area, as well as cyber influence campaigns.
Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, has responded that the island’s elections are an internal matter of no concern to outsiders. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to any unilateral change to the status quo.