China Slams Antony Blinken For Sending 'Gravely Wrong' Signal By Congratulating New Taiwan Leader

In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the Chinese government criticized the U.S. for sending what it termed as a “gravely wrong signal” by congratulating the newly elected leader of Taiwan.

What Happened: The Chinese government, through its foreign ministry, condemned the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s congratulatory message to William Lai, the president-elect of Taiwan, following the island’s recent election results, as reported by BBC.

Beijing labeled the message as a breach of Washington’s commitment to maintain only unofficial ties with Taiwan.

Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and vigorously challenges any government that disputes this claim. The Chinese government warned that the Taiwan issue is a “red line” that should not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

Blinken emphasized the partnership between Washington and Taipei, based on democratic values. He assured that the U.S., one of Taiwan’s key allies, is committed to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

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Beijing insists that the Taiwan question is a “red line” in China-U.S. relations and has lodged a formal diplomatic complaint with the U.S..

“China firmly opposes the US having any form of official interaction with Taiwan and interfering in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext.”

Why It Matters: The recent election in Taiwan has heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. A day before the election, Blinken held talks with senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao in Washington. Despite the historical lows in the U.S.-China relationship, the meetings are aimed at reducing tensions that typically arise from elections in Taiwan.

The Biden administration has been vocal in its support for Taiwan’s democratic process. Ahead of the election, a high-ranking U.S. official also declared that the U.S. opposes any external interference in Taiwan‘s elections, emphasizing that Washington’s policy towards Taipei will remain unchanged, regardless of the election outcome.

Earlier this month, China announced sanctions against five U.S. military manufacturers in response to the latest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The companies facing sanctions are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Alliant Techsystems Operations, AeroVironment, Viasat and Data Link Solutions.

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