MANILA, Aug 6 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday accused China of “irresponsible steps” in shutting down key communication channels with Washington, saying its actions in Taiwan showed a step from prioritizing peaceful resolution to the use of force.
His comments came as Chinese warships and planes practiced on Saturday for an attack on Taiwan, officials on the island said, part of a series of measures taken by Beijing after the president’s visit of the US House, Nancy Pelosi, earlier this week. Read more
China’s retaliation for halting bilateral processes in eight key areas, including defense, narcotics, transnational crime and climate change, were moves that would punish the world, not just the United States, Blinken said in a press conference in Manila.
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“These include various military-to-military channels, which are vital to prevent miscommunication and avoid crisis,” he said.
“Suspending climate cooperation does not punish the United States, it punishes the world, especially the developing world. We must not hold cooperation hostage on issues of global interest because of differences between our two countries.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2022. Ezra Acayan/Pool via REUTERS
The fight against climate change has been a key area of ​​cooperation between the two superpowers and the two largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
Blinken said the United States had heard concerns from allies about what he called China’s dangerous and destabilizing actions around Taiwan, but Washington would remain steadfast in its management of the situation.
He said he had told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a regional meeting in Cambodia that the United States was determined to maintain communication channels to avoid miscalculations, as countries across the world
“So let me be clear that the United States does not believe it is in the interests of Taiwan, the region or our own national security to escalate the situation,” he said.
“We will keep our channels of communication open with China, with the intention of avoiding escalation due to misunderstanding or miscommunication.”
He added: “Perhaps maintaining dialogue is even more important when we’re in a period of heightened tensions… We’re looking to de-escalate those tensions. And we think dialogue is a very important element of that.”
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Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Karen Lema; Written by Martin Petty; Editing by Kim Coghill
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