{"id":10759,"date":"2022-08-06T12:57:33","date_gmt":"2022-08-06T10:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=10759"},"modified":"2022-08-06T12:57:42","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T10:57:42","slug":"china-halts-military-and-climate-dialogue-with-us-over-taiwan-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/china-halts-military-and-climate-dialogue-with-us-over-taiwan-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"China halts military and climate dialogue with US over Taiwan issue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

China has decided to cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues including military and crucial climate cooperation, indicating Beijing\u2019s aggressive approach toward the U.S over the Taiwan crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s foreign ministry said it was also suspending exchanges with Washington on countering cross-border crime and drug trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement came after Beijing conducted military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan in reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s Taiwan visit<\/span><\/a>, making her the highest-level US visitor in 25 years to the self-governed island that Beijing regards as its territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions are running high in the\u00a0Taiwan\u00a0Strait where China has conducted massive military drills<\/span><\/a> forcing several vessels to reroute their journeys, causing disruptions to regional and global economies. China’s Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement it conducted air and sea drills to the north, southwest, and east of Taiwan on August 5 \u201cto test the troops’ joint combat capabilities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwan’s defense ministry said a total of 68 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships had conducted missions in the strait. The ministry also said that it scrambled jets to warn away Chinese aircraft that it said entered the island\u2019s air defense zone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PLA<\/a>
The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted long-range live-fire drills targeting designated areas on the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait on August 4 and achieved desired results. (Image Credit: PLA handout via Xinhua)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

U.S. calls China\u2019s move \u2018irresponsible\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US said on Friday that China\u2019s decision to halt cooperation in a number of critical areas was \u201cfundamentally irresponsible<\/span><\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere’s nothing here for the United States to rectify. The Chinese can go a long way to taking the tensions down simply by stopping these provocative military exercises and ending the rhetoric,\u201d said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused China of \u201cirresponsible steps\u201d by halting key communication channels with Washington. China\u2019s retaliation in stopping bilateral processes in eight key areas including defense, narcotics control, transnational crime, and climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose include several military-to-military channels, which are vital for avoiding miscommunication and avoid crisis \u2026 Suspending climate cooperation doesn\u2019t punish the United States, it punishes the world, particularly the developing world. We should not hold hostage cooperation on matters of global concern because of differences between our two countries,\u201d he said. Tackling climate change has been a key area of cooperation between the two superpowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blinken is is on a five-nation tour of Southeast Asia and Africa this week. In their meeting in Phnom Penh on the sidelines Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa urged China to immediately cease military exercises. In a joint statement<\/span><\/a>, they \u201cexpressed their concern about the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s (PRC) recent actions that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

.@SecBlinken<\/a> on the situation in the Taiwan Strait: We\u2019ve seen how Beijing has attempted to change the status quo on Taiwan for some time\u2014now they\u2019ve taken dangerous acts to a new level. There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate & escalatory military response. pic.twitter.com\/UgbhZbpwoU<\/a><\/p>— Department of State (@StateDept) August 5, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>