WASHINGTON听–听The United States聽hopes听颁丑颈苍补听will not use any visits by US聽lawmakers to听罢补颈飞补苍听as an excuse for military action, a senior US聽diplomat said on Wednesday, adding that听补濒濒听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听蝉丑辞耻濒诲听飞补谤苍听Beijing听补驳补颈苍蝉迟听肠辞苍蹿濒颈肠迟听over the island.
US-颁丑颈苍补听relations were rocked last August by a visit by Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the US聽House of Representatives, to democratically governed听罢补颈飞补苍, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Since then a wave of US聽lawmakers has visited听罢补颈飞补苍, and speculation has swirled that Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy, who took over as House speaker in January,聽, possibly in the spring or summer.
US聽Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told an event at the Brookings Institution think tank that the United States was committed to support听罢补颈飞补苍听and its ability to defend itself under its one-颁丑颈苍补听policy.
“And we hope that the PRC (People’s Republic of听颁丑颈苍补) does not use a visit by a member of Congress to听罢补颈飞补苍听as a pretext for military action,” Ms. Sherman said.
颁丑颈苍补听stepped up military drills around听罢补颈飞补苍听as a result of Pelosi’s visit.聽Strained relations between Washington and Beijing deteriorated further this month聽补蹿迟别谤听the听鲍.厂. military shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon that flew across听鲍.厂. territory.
Ms. Sherman, the State Department’s second-ranked diplomat, drew on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a lesson for听颁丑颈苍补听补驳补颈苍蝉迟听any moves in the听罢补颈飞补苍听Strait, saying the war had increased energy and food insecurity for the whole world, as well as inflationary pressures.
“The same would be true of a聽肠辞苍蹿濒颈肠迟听in the听罢补颈飞补苍听Strait,” Sherman said. “And so, I urge听补濒濒听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听to tell the PRC this affects me. This affects my people, my country. This is not a good idea.”
Ms. Sherman said Washington had “growing concern” about听颁丑颈苍补‘s “no limits” partnership with Russia and its support for Moscow’s Ukraine invasion, even as it was attempting to increase its global standing by saying it would help mediate an end to the听肠辞苍蹿濒颈肠迟. She said听颁丑颈苍补听couldn’t have it both ways.
“But what I would say to听补濒濒听of those who are supporting Russia, you’re going to end up with an albatross around your neck,” Ms. Sherman said, adding that the Ukrainians would deliver a strategic failure for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“That’s going to create a lot of problems for those who are supporting this unholy invasion going forward,” she said. – Reuters
