TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang (秦剛) on Tuesday (Aug. 16) accused Washington of altering the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and warned that it must bear the resulting consequences.
Qin said the U.S. should be responsible for patching up frosty relations with China, according to Politico. The Chinese foreign minister called off military talks and halted cooperation on climate change, repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance on criminal matters, combatting transnational crimes, and fighting drug trafficking following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on Aug. 2.
Qin slammed Pelosi’s trip as a “political provocation” and labeled U.S. arms sales to Taipei as a violation of the U.S.-China August 17, 1982 Joint Communique, which states that the U.S. intends to gradually decrease weapons sales to Taiwan over time, predicated upon China’s commitment to seek a peaceful solution to cross-strait tensions and the threat posed by Beijing.
The ambassador said he “tried every means through every channel possible” to block Pelosi’s visit. Qin added that he wants the U.S. “to think about its wrong behavior on Taiwan, reflect on what is the true One China policy and refrain from doing anything to escalate tensions.”
In regards to Senator Ed Markey's recent visit to Taiwan, Qin added it was “provocative and unhelpful.”
The ambassador also suggested that future transits of the Taiwan Strait by the U.S. Navy could lead to a response from the Chinese military. “I call on the U.S. to refrain and exercise restraint and not do anything to escalate tensions,” Qin said. “If there are any moves to violate China’s territorial integrity, China will respond.”
The ambassador said Beijing had no plans to resume cooperation with the U.S. in the near future.
