San Francisco: Beijing wants to seize Taiwan “On a much faster timeline”, than before, US Secretary of State Antony blinken Said on Monday, warned that President Xi Jinping was taking China in a more aggressive direction.
Xi is on the verge of securing a third five-year term at the helm of the world’s most populous country, delivering a historic Communist Party Congress speech on Sunday that praised his decade in power and called for a day of “reunification”. Restored its pledge to, or take it by force, Taiwan.
“We’ve seen a very different China emerge under Xi Jinping in recent years,” Blinken told a forum with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Stanford University.
“It’s more oppressive at home, it’s more aggressive abroad. And in many instances it challenges our own interests as well as our own values,” he said.
Blinken accused Xi of “creating tremendous tension” by changing attitudes toward self-governing Taiwan, which the Communist Party of China has never controlled but claims as its own.
He said China had “fundamentally decided that the status quo was no longer acceptable, and Beijing was determined to pursue reunification on a very rapid timeline”, although he did not give any hard estimates or dates.
Senior US military figures have previously raised the alarm that China has expanded its military forces to the point where it may soon have the capability to invade Taiwan.
China has long held the stance that it wants “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, but reserves the right to use force if necessary, especially if the island ever formally declares independence.
But the rhetoric and action towards Taiwan has become more apparent under Xi, China’s most outspoken leader in a generation.
He has blamed Taiwan for its historic “Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation” and has previously stated that the goal of reunification cannot be passed on indefinitely from generation to generation.
He reiterated similar themes in Sunday’s speech, saying “the wheels of history are moving towards China’s reunification” and “we reserve the option to take all necessary measures”.
Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, which has not been condemned by China, has also raised fears that Beijing may try to do something similar against Taiwan’s 23 million people.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have been at a decade low under the administrations of both Donald Trump and his successor. Joe Bidenon a range of issues from trade to security and human rights.
But Blinken said the world’s two largest economies should be prepared to cooperate on common interests.
He said the world “fundamentally expects” the two powers to work together on climate change, global health and possibly drug trafficking.
Beijing should be “responsive to the demand for signals that are coming from countries around the world to be a positive actor, not a negative actor, on issues that pertain to them”.
China cut cooperation with the United States on climate change and drug trafficking in August in protest of a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, with Beijing launching its biggest military exercise yet around the island .
Xi is widely expected to meet President Biden on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali next month, his first since taking office as the US leader.
Xi is on the verge of securing a third five-year term at the helm of the world’s most populous country, delivering a historic Communist Party Congress speech on Sunday that praised his decade in power and called for a day of “reunification”. Restored its pledge to, or take it by force, Taiwan.
“We’ve seen a very different China emerge under Xi Jinping in recent years,” Blinken told a forum with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Stanford University.
“It’s more oppressive at home, it’s more aggressive abroad. And in many instances it challenges our own interests as well as our own values,” he said.
Blinken accused Xi of “creating tremendous tension” by changing attitudes toward self-governing Taiwan, which the Communist Party of China has never controlled but claims as its own.
He said China had “fundamentally decided that the status quo was no longer acceptable, and Beijing was determined to pursue reunification on a very rapid timeline”, although he did not give any hard estimates or dates.
Senior US military figures have previously raised the alarm that China has expanded its military forces to the point where it may soon have the capability to invade Taiwan.
China has long held the stance that it wants “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, but reserves the right to use force if necessary, especially if the island ever formally declares independence.
But the rhetoric and action towards Taiwan has become more apparent under Xi, China’s most outspoken leader in a generation.
He has blamed Taiwan for its historic “Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation” and has previously stated that the goal of reunification cannot be passed on indefinitely from generation to generation.
He reiterated similar themes in Sunday’s speech, saying “the wheels of history are moving towards China’s reunification” and “we reserve the option to take all necessary measures”.
Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, which has not been condemned by China, has also raised fears that Beijing may try to do something similar against Taiwan’s 23 million people.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have been at a decade low under the administrations of both Donald Trump and his successor. Joe Bidenon a range of issues from trade to security and human rights.
But Blinken said the world’s two largest economies should be prepared to cooperate on common interests.
He said the world “fundamentally expects” the two powers to work together on climate change, global health and possibly drug trafficking.
Beijing should be “responsive to the demand for signals that are coming from countries around the world to be a positive actor, not a negative actor, on issues that pertain to them”.
China cut cooperation with the United States on climate change and drug trafficking in August in protest of a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, with Beijing launching its biggest military exercise yet around the island .
Xi is widely expected to meet President Biden on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali next month, his first since taking office as the US leader.