China military drill ‘a warning’ to Taiwan in wake of Biden defence pledge
- PLA holds joint combat-readiness exercise near island to deter collusion with the United States
- Beijing say there would be heavy consequences for supporting Taiwanese independence
“It is hypocritical and futile for the United States to say one thing and do another on the Taiwan issue,” Shi said.
Without giving details of the drill, he said troops from the theatre command were capable of thwarting external interference and attempts to advance independence for the island.
The Chinese foreign ministry also accused the US of harming relations with China, saying there would be heavy consequences for supporting Taiwanese independence.
It follows suggestions from Biden on Monday that the US would defend Taiwan militarily if it was under attack by mainland China.
“Yes, that’s the commitment we made,” he said. “We agree with the one-China policy. We signed on to it. All the attendant agreements [were] made from there.
“But the idea that that can be taken by force, just taken by force. It’s just not, it’s just not appropriate.”
The remarks triggered concerns that the US was changing its policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether American troops would ever intervene on Taiwan.
US officials and Biden later appeared to walk back the remarks, with Biden saying on Tuesday that US policies towards Taiwan had not changed.
Nevertheless, Beijing reacted angrily, warning the US against playing with words on the one-China principle.
Don’t read too much into Biden’s Taiwan defence pledge, analysts say
Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan to be a breakaway province to be taken back by force if necessary. Washington switched recognition to Beijing in 1979, has retained – and stepped up in recent years – its close ties with the government in Taipei.
Calls in Washington to give Taipei more security support have grown louder since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, worsening tensions over the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea.
Defence analysts said those drills were targeted at deterring Taiwan’s independence-leaning forces.