As the Beijing 2022 Games draw closer, tensions between the United States and China remain tense for a number of reasons: Peng Shuai’s disappearance for three weeks, human rights concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic, a possible diplomatic boycott and now Taiwan can be added to the mix.
On Thursday, five U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taiwan to meet with government officials there. This goes against a direct order from Beijing to stay away from Taiwan.
Representative Elissa Slotkin from the U.S. state of Michigan posted on Twitter, “When news of our trip broke, my office received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy telling me to call off the trip.”
The Chinese Embassy further said, “We strongly urge the Congresswoman immediately cancel the planned visit to Taiwan and not to support and embolden separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence,’ lest it cause huge damage to the China-US relations and the peace and stability of Taiwan Straits.”
While Slotkin said the main topic of discussion during the visit will be supply chain issues and not any potential diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games by the United States, it is sure to be seen as yet another warning shot fired across the bow between the two global powers.
China lays claim to Taiwan and does not have any official ties with countries which recognize the island as an independent country. As a result, the U.S. does not officially recognize Taiwan, nor maintain an embassy there.
However, in October, U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would defend Taiwan against an attack from China, but they are not encouraging Taiwan’s independence from China. An earlier trip to Taiwan by U.S. government officials led to China responding with military exercises near Taiwan. China described the visit as “an act of provocation.”
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