Munich: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi refused to use his platform at an international security conference in Germany on Saturday to rule out a military conflict with Taiwan.
Wang’s address to the Munich Security Conference included a tirade against the US, describing the downing of a Chinese spy balloon over American airspace as “absurd and hysterical” and an “abuse of force.”
Pointing the finger … China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.Credit:Getty
Prior to Wang’s address, the Munich event had been dominated by the war in Ukraine. Both US Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed delegates on the subject.
Wang warned strongly against the use of nuclear and chemical weapons in Ukraine, but did not rule out military conflict involving his own country and Taiwan. When asked “to reassure the audience that a military escalation over Taiwan issue was not imminent,” Wang maintained China’s hard-line stance on its neighbour.
“I can briefly assure the audience that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory – it has never been a country and it will not be a country in the future,” Wang said.
“This is the status quo of the Taiwan question, it is not China who wants to change the status quo, but Taiwan separatist forces on the island. We don’t hope to see double standards on this issue of major significance, that is my answer.”
Taiwan regards itself as a self-governing country. However, China has never recognised Taiwan’s independence and has set a deadline of 2049 for unification.
US President Joe Biden has said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. Recently, US officials have speculated that Beijing could be preparing to strike sooner rather than later.
China has been conducting military exercises over and near Taiwan since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island last year. This week, it was reported that the Pentagon’s top China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Michael Chase, was visiting the island.
Wang’s strident rhetoric appeared to dim hopes of a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken, who is also attending the conference in Munich.
Blinken postponed his planned ice-breaking trip to Beijing over the spy balloon. Harris told the conference that the incident had not been helpful.
“We will maintain the perspective that we have in terms of what should be the relationship between China and the United States,” she said.
“That is not going to change, but surely and certainly, that balloon was not helpful.”
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