U.S. insists it will sail warships around Taiwan
people, much as it did in Hong Kong.
Within a few weeks, officials said, the U.S. Navy is planning to run ships through the Taiwan Strait, ignoring China's recent claim that it controls the entire waterway. Officials said they would not send the Ronald Reagan, the Japan-based aircraft carrier, because it would be too provocative.
Colin H. Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told reporters this week that China was trying to “coerce” Taiwan and the international community.
“And all I'll say is we're not going to take the bait.”
He insisted the United States would conduct business as usual: “What we'll do instead, is to continue to fly, to sail and operate wherever international law allows us to do so, and that includes in the Taiwan Strait.”
Asked about the rising tensions, President Joe Biden said Monday he was “concerned that they're moving as much as they are,” an apparent reference to the Pentagon's assessment that China has dispatched 20 destroyers and frigates to the waters surrounding Taiwan.
When asked whether it was a “wise move” for Pelosi to visit the island despite China's warnings, Biden said simply: “That was her decision.”
Interviews with a variety of administration, intelligence and military officials, and outside experts, revealed a growing sense that China's exercises were not just a reaction to the speaker's brief visit, but a turning point in China's strategy. Several officials said they believe President Xi Jinping is seeking to demonstrate a greater willingness to use force.
In a white paper the Chinese government published on Wednesday, Beijing said that it would prefer unification by peaceful means but also made clear it was keeping all options on the table.