US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Beijing rejects the longstanding status quo on Taiwan, reiterating Washington’s assessment that China intends to speed up the timetable for forcible reunification with the island.
His remarks come after President Xi Jinping won a third term at the recent Communist Party Congress, cementing his status as the most influential Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. This raises fears in Taiwan that Beijing will redouble its efforts to win the case, as Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu pointed out in parliament in Taipei on Wednesday.
Antony Blinken recalled that the status quo – whereby the United States recognizes one China but provides arms to the island for its defense – made it possible to “ensure that there is no conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan.”
But “what has changed is the decision made by the government in Beijing that the status quo is no longer acceptable, that it wants to move forward, to accelerate the process” of reunification, the US diplomat told Bloomberg News, according to AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
He also pointed out that Beijing has decided “to make life difficult in Taiwan in the hope that this will speed up reunification.”
Chinese pressure on Taiwan “should worry not only the United States, but all countries in the region and around the world,” said Antony Blinken, who gave the example of Taiwan’s growing share of semiconductor production.
“If this were to be disrupted for any reason, it would have profound consequences for the global economy,” he warned.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has pledged to take control of the island, by force if necessary.
