US issues stern warning to China against provocative actions on Taiwan: Video
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a stern warning to China regarding its actions around Taiwan.
Blinken described China's recent military manoeuvres as "provocative" and emphasised the risks of miscalculation that could lead to heightened tensions in the region.
The warning comes after a speech given by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te suggested the island country will "resist annexation" and a "regular exercise" from China.
Blinken warned China on Friday, October 11 to not use the speech as a premise for any action.
"I can tell you that with regard to the so-called 10.10 speech, which is a regular exercise, China should not use it in any fashion as a pretext for provocative actions, on the contrary, we want to reinforce -- and many other countries want to reinforce -- the imperative of preserving the status quo and neither party taking any actions that might undermine it," he said.
Blinken also added "Fifty percent of commercial container traffic goes through the Taiwan Strait every day; more than 70 percent of the high-end semiconductors that the world needs are produced on Taiwan. So there's a strong interest around the world on maintaining peace and stability, preserving the status quo, avoiding any kind of conflict that could disrupt things that are so essential to the global economy."
Since 1949, Taiwan has operated as a self-governing entity, separate from China. However, Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has pledged to "unify" the island with the mainland, even if it requires the use of force.
