US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned on Monday that China’s ruling party under Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to annex Taiwan on a much faster timeline than previously thought.
Addressing at an event at Stanford University in California with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Blinken noted that there’s been a change in Beijing’s approach toward Taiwan in recent years.
He said that it seems that the status quo that was established in a positive way was no longer acceptable for Beijing which, instead of sticking with it, is determined to pursue reunification on a much faster timeline.
Blinken warned that the fact that China would employ coercive and possibly forceful means if coercive means don’t work to achieve reunification is profoundly disrupting the status quo and creating tremendous tensions.
Ever since Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, prompting Chinese forces to launch live-fire drills in protest, tensions between Beijing and Washington over the self-governing island are continuously increasing.
Only days before Blinken’s comments, Chinese President Xi emphasized during a Chinese Communist Party congress speech that the wheels of history are rolling on towards China’s reunification with Taiwan, pointing out that Beijing reserves the option of taking all measures necessary.
The Secretary of State reiterated that the US remains fundamentally committed to the One China policy, which means it acknowledges that Beijing considers Taiwan part of China but opposes any attempts by China to change the island’s self-governing, democratic status by force.
However, he warned that if the commitment to resolve these differences peacefully – which is at the heart of the policy – changes, that raises prospects for very challenging situations going forward.
President Biden noted on several occasions, most recently last month, that despite Washington having a long-running policy of strategic ambiguity on the matter, the US forces would defend Taiwan if China’s military invaded the island.
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