Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen after arriving at the President’s Office on August 3, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi’s visit infuriated China, which claims the self-governing island as its own, and responded for the first time with a test launch of ballistic missiles over Taipei, as well as abandoning some lines of dialogue with Washington.
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China’s Defense Ministry on Monday defended its postponement of military talks with the United States in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last week, warning that Washington must face “serious consequences”.
Pelosi’s visit last week infuriated China, which claims the self-governing island as its own and responded for the first time with a test launch of ballistic missiles over Taipei, as well as abandoning some lines of dialogue with Washington.
“The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait was entirely caused and created by the US side on its own initiative, and the US side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for it,” Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.
“The essence cannot be revealed, and communication requires sincerity,” Wu said.
Four days of unprecedented exercises were supposed to end on Sunday. Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed that they have ended, amid fears among some security analysts that the situation in the Taiwan Strait, particularly near the unofficial buffer line, remains tense.
About 10 warships from China and Taiwan were maneuvering in close proximity to the line on Sunday, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved in security planning.
The island’s defense ministry said Chinese warships, aircraft and drones simulated attacks on the island and its navy. They said they had sent aircraft and ships to respond “appropriately”.
On Friday, China canceled official talks involving battlefield-level commands, defense policy coordination and military-to-military consultations as Pelosi left the region.
Pentagon, State Department and White House officials condemned the move, describing it as an irresponsible overreaction.
Cutting some of China’s few communications links with the US military raises the risk of an accidental escalation over Taiwan at a critical time, according to security analysts and diplomats.
One US official noted that Chinese officials did not return calls from senior Pentagon officials amid tensions last week, but that they did not see it as a formal severance of ties with senior figures such as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Asked directly about the reports, Defense Ministry spokesman Wu said: “China’s relevant countermeasures are a necessary warning against provocations by the United States and Taiwan and a legitimate defense of national sovereignty and security.”
