YOKOSUKA, Japan, Sept 28 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday condemned China’s “disturbing” actions in the Pacific while pledging to deepen “unofficial ties” with Taiwan, days after the The American administration promised that its forces would defend the island. .
Harris made his remarks on the deck of the destroyer USS Howard during a visit to the world’s largest US naval facility in Yokosuka, near the Japanese capital.
“China is undermining key elements of the rules-based international order,” said Harris, who is on a four-day trip to Asia.
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“China has flexed its military and economic power to coerce and intimidate its neighbors. And we have witnessed disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and more recently, cross-strait provocations from Taiwan”.
The remarks to the US sailors wearing white suits come after US President Joe Biden pledged in an interview broadcast on September 18 to defend the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan against an “unprecedented attack”. Read more
The US subscribes to a “one China” policy that formally recognizes only Beijing, but obliges the US government to provide democratically-ruled Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
China claims Taiwan as one of its provinces. It has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out using force to do so.
Taiwan’s government strongly opposes China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s 23 million people can decide their future.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, angering China, which later held its largest military exercises on the island.
Harris said US forces would operate in the region “unpredictably and fearlessly”, although the US expects “continued aggressive” actions from China.
“We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo,” he said. “And we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good, from technology to health and beyond, and the U.S. will continue to deepen our unofficial craft. ties.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular media briefing that the United States should return to the one-China policy and “make it clear that it opposes all separatist activities by Taiwan.” .
RISING TENSION
Harris’ trip to Japan, Washington’s closest regional ally, was aimed at reassuring allies and deterring any escalation.
Aides said Harris would work on a unified approach in a region where leaders have warily watched rising tensions between the United States and China.
The base where Harris spoke is home to 24,000 military and civilian personnel who could be called upon in a regional conflict. It is also home to the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier now in South Korea participating in joint exercises aimed at deterring North Korea. Harris will visit the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Harris led Biden’s bipartisan US delegation to the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who distanced the country from the pacifist doctrine it adopted after being defeated in World War II.
Biden is expected to hold his first face-to-face meeting as president with China’s Xi Jinping during the Nov. 20 Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia.
Before Harris spoke to the US service members, he went below deck and was given a demonstration of the warship’s anti-submarine and anti-missile capabilities.
One commander pointed to a digital map showing a hypothetical enemy, a “hostile country” he declined to identify.
“It’s not Guam,” he explained, referring to the Pacific territory.
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Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Yokosuka, Japan; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Editing by Mary Milliken, Josie Kao and Gerry Doyle
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