China’s military drills ‘great escalation’

China launched drills after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, angering Beijing, which claims the autonomous islands as its territory.

However, Blinken told reporters during a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia that Pelosi’s visit was a peaceful one and did not represent a change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, suggesting that China He accused it of using it as a “pretext for increasing provocations” and “military activities in and around the Taiwan Strait”.

He said the situation led to “vigorous communication” at the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, when both he and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended, along with ASEAN countries, Russia and others.

“Over the past few days, I have reiterated points we have made both publicly and directly to our Chinese counterparts that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation or provocation, but may justify it. We acknowledge what they did and urge them to stop these acts.”

Ms Blinken said she had never met Mr Wang in person, but had spoken to China’s foreign minister before the meeting in Bali and clarified the US position on a possible Ms Pelosi visit to Taiwan.

China on Friday announced unspecified sanctions for Pelosi’s visit. She ignored China’s concerns and firmly opposed her visit, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.

Pelosi was the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in over 25 years and was met with a euphoric reception as the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan.

China opposes any involvement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments and accuses the United States of breaking the status quo with President Pelosi’s visit. While acknowledging unofficial and defense ties with Taipei, the United States maintains its “one China” position of recognizing the government in Beijing remains unchanged.

Despite China’s positive reaction to the visit, Blinken said the United States would also not change its “commitment to the security of regional allies,” and the Pentagon ordered the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group “to remain on base.” He said. in the general area to monitor the situation.”

“We will fly, sail and operate as long as international law allows,” he said.

“We will continue to conduct standard air and sea transit through the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our longstanding approach of working with allies and partners to maintain freedom of navigation and overflight. ”

When the East Asia summit began, Wang tapped Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room, waved to Lavrov, who was already seated, and took his seat. Lavrov waved back.

When Brinken entered the room last, he didn’t even look at Lavrov, who was sitting in his seat about half a dozen chairs away, or Wan, who was sitting at the same table as Lavrov, further down.

Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the U.S. State Department suggested that Brinken had no plans to meet either man one-on-one during the course of the talks.

After the meeting, Lavrov told reporters that there had been a number of “fierce remarks” about the aftermath of Pelosi’s visit.

“There have been some pretty sharp statements from our Chinese partners that we support,” he told reporters. “And the response from the United States and Japan that it’s not Chinese business and that the declared policy of upholding the one-China principle does not mean that you need to ask permission from Beijing to visit Taiwan. There was, indeed, a strange logic.”

The talks come a day after WNBA star Britney Griner was convicted of drug possession by Russia and sentenced to nine years in prison in a politically prosecuted case amid the conflict over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. was done in

Blinken said the conviction and sentence “further exacerbate the unjust acts that have been done against her.”

“This reflects our very serious concerns about the Russian legal system and the use of unjustified detention by the Russian government to use individuals as political agents to advance its own policies. It’s in the spotlight,” he said.

Brinken hinted at a possible prisoner swap between Griner and another American imprisoned in Russia, Paul Whelan, but Lavrov told reporters that such a deal could be between Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and George Whelan. He said it would only be decided by President Biden.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting, Lavrov said, “We are ready to discuss this topic, but we will do so within the channels agreed by Putin and Biden.”

On Thursday, China canceled a meeting with Japan’s foreign ministers, protesting statements by the Group of Seven (G7) that said Beijing’s military exercises, which effectively encircle Taiwan, were illegitimate.

“Japan, along with other members of the G7 and the EU, has issued an irresponsible statement that condemns China and confuses good and evil,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing.

When Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi began his speech at the East Asia Summit on Friday, both Lavrov and Wang walked out of the room, said a diplomat who was in the room to discuss closed-door sessions, speaking on condition of anonymity. talked.

After a Chinese missile was launched into the Japanese economy, Blinken said the United States was showing “strong solidarity” with Japan following “China’s dangerous actions.”