China has announced halting dialogue with the United States in a number of areas, including military matters and crucial climate change talks, amid escalating concerns rose over the Taiwan issue.
Chinese government’s move to freeze key lines of communication is in reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit despite warnings from China. Pelosi became the highest-level U.S. visitor in 25 years to the self-governed island that Beijing regards as its territory.
The announcement comes after China launched ballistic missiles around Taiwan during live-fire exercises. The unprecedented drills included advanced weapons, including long-range rocket artillery, anti-ship ballistic missiles, stealth fighter jets and an aircraft carrier group with a nuclear-powered submarine, according to Chinese media.
U.S. calls China’s moves irresponsible
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby countered that China’s move to suspend some communication channels was “fundamentally irresponsible.”
The Pentagon said China was overreacting since Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan and added that some channels of communication remain open between military officials in the two countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that China should not hold talks on important global matters such as the climate crisis “hostage.”
China’s retaliation would prevent U.S.-China bilateral processes in eight key areas including defence, narcotics control, legal assistance in criminal matters, transnational crime and climate change.
“Those include several military-to-military channels, which are vital for avoiding miscommunication and avoid crisis,” Blinken said.
Reacting to massive military drills by China, Blinken said “There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, who met on the sidelines of ASEAN regional meetings in Cambodia, have urged China to immediately cease military exercises.
In a joint statement, they “expressed their concern about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent actions that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises.”
Recent Taiwan tensions have brought US-China relations to the lowest point recently.