China’s Ambassador to U.S. Warns of Continued Consequences Over Taiwan
During a press briefing in Washington, China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, accused the United States of “changing the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and condemned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan (Politico)
He warned of “another round of tensions” if the United States does not “show restraint,” suggesting that Beijing has no plans to reverse its suspension of military-to-military talks and climate cooperation with Washington (Axios)
The United States plans to send naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks, which Qin said it should “refrain” from doing (Time)
Meanwhile, Chinese troops will travel to Russia for the so-called Vostok military exercises with countries including Belarus, India, Mongolia, and Tajikistan; China’s defense ministry said the exercises are “unrelated to the current international and regional situation” (Reuters)
China Conducts New Military Drills Around Taiwan as More U.S. Lawmakers Visit
A five-person U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, as part of a larger Asia trip; their visit follows one by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this month (WaPo)
Taiwan Reportedly Plans Missile Tests Amid China Tensions
Taiwan’s top weapons maker plans to stage four days of missile tests later this month in areas off the island’s east coast, a former official told local media; yesterday, a Taiwanese foreign ministry spokesperson protested China’s new defense white paper, saying it violates “international law and Taiwan’s sovereignty” (SCMP)
TSMC Considers Adding Plants in Japan, Europe
Chip-making giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company said customers’ demand for more geographically diverse supply chains has prompted it to consider building a second plant in Japan and its first in Europe (Nikkei)
Military Budget Delay Threatens Defense Against China
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the delay in passing a $40 billion special military budget risks weakening its joint line of defense against China; Koo further stated that the government has engaged in extensive talks with the United States about which weapons Taiwan needs (Reuters)
Trump: Whether China Invades Taiwan Is Xi’s Decision
In a New York Times interview, Trump said it was “up to” Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China invaded Taiwan, but that he’d told Xi he would be “very unhappy” about an invasion and believed China would not act during his presidency (NYT)