WASHINGTON.- The United States warned this Friday China not to interfere in the January 13 presidential elections in Taiwan and hopes that they will be held without “coercion.”
Both Beijing and Washington are closely following these elections on the autonomous island because they could determine the future of Taiwan’s relations with Beijing.
“Our great expectation and hope is that those elections will be free of intimidation, coercion or interference from all sides,” said US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.
Territorial conflict
Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing considers part of its territory, is a major point of tension between China and the United States, Taipei’s most important ally.
The Chinese government claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has threatened several times to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.
“The United States is not and will not be involved in this election,” Burns said.
Taiwan is a major semiconductor producer and the Taiwan Strait remains a crucial shipping route for global trade.
Burns assured that “China wants to become the strongest power in the Indo-Pacific.”
Although he acknowledged that both countries have “a competitive relationship” on a military and economic level, Burns highlighted the ability to reach agreements, especially after a meeting in November between US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping.
Both leaders agreed to restore military-to-military communication and address the trade in fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that causes tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States each year. According to Washington, it is manufactured by Mexican cartels with chemicals from China.
Burns also called for strengthening relations between both countries.
“Six or seven years ago there were 15,000 American students in China. Last year, we were left with 350,” he said.
Before the pandemic there were 354 direct flights per week between the two countries, compared to only 70 currently.
Source: AFP
