US says Taiwan speech no justification for China military pressure

The United States stated that China has no justification for using Taiwan's annual national day speech as a pretext for military pressure.

This comment comes ahead of a scheduled address by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, amid concerns that Beijing may respond with military drills, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

A Taiwan official remarked that China has been employing various tactics to create "chaos" leading up to Lai's keynote speech on October 10, which commemorates the 113th anniversary of China, Taiwan's official name.

A senior US administration official emphasized that there is no cause for Chinese military exercises linked to this routine celebration. While noting that there has been little military activity following previous October 10 speeches, the official expressed readiness for Beijing to potentially use this occasion to justify military actions this year.

The US believes that coercive actions against Taiwan undermine stability in the Taiwan Strait. Previously, China conducted "punishment" military exercises around Taiwan shortly after Lai's inauguration in May but has not announced any new drills related to Taiwan.

The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet commented on the situation. The US official confirmed that Taiwan had informed its diplomatic partners about Lai's speech, but the content remains entirely the responsibility of Taiwan's officials.

Lai, who took office in May after winning the January elections, is viewed unfavorably by China, which labels him a "separatist." China claims Taiwan as its territory, a stance that Lai and his administration reject.

In recent years, China's military activities around Taiwan have intensified, and it has not renounced the possibility of using force to assert control over the island. Taiwan's national day marks the 1911 overthrow of the last Chinese dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China, with the defeated republican government fleeing to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong's communists. No formal peace treaty has ever been signed, and Beijing has maintained its stance on using force to reclaim Taiwan.

Most Taiwanese believe an invasion is unlikely in the next five years, although they view China as a significant threat, according to a poll from Taiwan's leading military think tank released on October 9.

The US and China have discussed holding talks between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, aiming to stabilize their challenging bilateral relations. However, the US official did not provide details on when this leaders' call might happen, noting scheduling difficulties due to holidays and domestic issues in both nations.