The United States and other countries are warning China not to be provocative following the one-day visit to Taiwan by members of the U.S. Congress, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined his Group of Seven counterparts in issuing a statement Wednesday saying there is no justification for China to use the U.S. House speaker’s visit “as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait.”
Amid military drills and threats by China to retaliate against the United States for the trip by the lawmakers to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre avoided specifics in answering reporters’ queries on how Washington might react.
“The United States will not seek, it does not want a crisis. We are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do.”
The White House spokesperson added the United States knew that Beijing was going to react in this way.
In a statement, Pelosi said the congressional delegation’s visit to Taipei “should be seen as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan.”
