Washington to strengthen trade ties with Taiwan and conduct new air and sea crossings in the strait, in response to actions “provocateurs” of China, announced a senior American official, Friday August 12. A “ambitious roadmap” on trade will be disclosed “in the next few days”said Kurt Campbell, White House coordinator for Asia-Pacific.
This adviser to Joe Biden claimed that Beijing had used the recent visit of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to try to upset the status quo regarding the situation on the island. Kurt Campbell said this visit to Taiwan was “consistent” with Washington’s policy, and that China had “overreacted”. According to him, Beijing used this pretext to “launch a pressure campaign against Taiwan (…) jeopardizing peace and stability across the strait”.
After Nancy Pelosi’s visit, China launched multi-day air and sea exercises around the island. In response, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to the region. Kurt Campbell said the Biden administration “would continue to strengthen [ses] ties with Taiwan, including continuing to advance our economic and trade relations.”. Otherwise, “in the next weeks”American ships and planes will make new passages “classics” in the strait.
“[Les forces américaines] will continue to fly, sail or operate wherever international law permits.”
Kurt Campbell, White House Asia-Pacific Coordinator.
Criticizing China’s decision to end its climate cooperation with the United States, Kurt Campbell said Washington continues to keep communication channels “open” with Beijing. The Taiwanese government, for its part, welcomed the American announcements. In a statement, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry expressed its “heartfelt thanks” for his “concrete actions in favor of security in the Taiwan Strait and peace in the region”.