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US warns China against use of 'force or coercion' against Taiwan after incursion

US tells Beijing to 'stop its coercive efforts and resume dialogue' with 'democratically elected' Taiwanese government

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State Department spokesman Robert Palladino. (Image from state.gov)

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino. (Image from state.gov)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- In response to reports that Chinese fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Sunday (March 31), the U.S. on Tuesday (April 2) warned China against the use of "force or coercion" against Taiwan.

At a press conference on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said, "The United States opposes unilateral actions by any party that are aimed at altering the status quo, including anything related to force or coercion."

He added that "Beijing should stop its coercive efforts and resume dialogue with the democratically elected administration."

At 11 a.m. on Sunday, two PLAAF J-11 fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait into Taiwanese air space, coming within 185 kilometers of Taiwan. A 12-minute-long standoff then ensued between fighter jets of the two countries, before the Chinese warplanes finally retreated back to their side, according to local media reports.

This marked the first time Chinese warplanes have crossed the median line since 1999, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry.

In response, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) on Sunday said, "such an approach by China is not only a lack of international responsibility and deliberate provocation of regional security and stability, but also blatant destruction of the status quo in the strait," reported CNA.

The same day, the Chinese state-run mouthpiece the Global Times published an editorial stating that if the U.S. and Taiwan continue to "provoke China," the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will probably put the "airspace above Taiwan Island within its patrol range."

At a military ceremony on Monday (April 1), Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) protested the PLAAF’s provocative action and admonished Beijing. She called on the country not avoid intentionally provoking Taiwan, creating trouble, and challenging the cross-Strait status quo.

Later on Monday, Trump's national security adviser John Bolton took to Twitter to say that China's aggressive military actions would not "win any hearts and minds in Taiwan," but would instead "strengthen the resolve of people everywhere who value democracy." He then emphasized that the U.S. commitments to the Taiwan Relations Act "are clear."

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio responded to Bolton's tweet by saying that China's incursions into Taiwan's airspace would not "scare the U.S. into abandoning its commitments." He added that Beijing's military aggression only serves to remind the U.S. of the need to further bolster "Taiwan's ability to defend itself."

Also on Tuesday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he hopes Taiwan and China can conduct a dialogue to peacefully resolve the problem. Suga said the peace and stability of Taiwan is extremely important to the region and the wider world.

For its part, the European Union called on China and Taiwan Tuesday to restart bilateral dialogue and avoid actions and words that may increase tension across the Taiwan Strait after China sent fighter jets across the median line on Sunday, in what Taiwan called a "reckless and provocative" move.