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NO DIALOGUE:
The US defense chief said he had spoken with his Chinese counterpart by phone and in person, but the channel of communication was “not open” at the moment.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday he did not see an imminent invasion of Taiwan by China, but said Beijing was trying to establish a “new normal” with its military activities in the nation.
A visit to Taiwan in early August by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China, which subsequently stepped up military exercises in the country. They continue, albeit on a much smaller scale.
“I don’t see an invasion coming,” Austin said in a GPS interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that was taped Friday.
Photo: screenshot from CNN
“What we are seeing is China seeking to establish what we would call a new normal. Increased activity – we saw a number of centerline crossings of the Taiwan Strait by their aircraft. This number has increased over time. We are seeing more activity with their surface vessels and waters in and around Taiwan,” he said.
The US and its allies responded to the exercises by continuing to sail through the region. A US Navy warship and a Canadian frigate made a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on September 20.
The U.S. will continue to work with its allies and partners “to ensure that we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Austin said in the interview.
The US will help Taiwan develop its ability to defend itself against a Chinese invasion, he added, pausing over US President Joe Biden’s pledge to send troops to the nation.
“We are committed to helping Taiwan develop its ability to defend itself,” Austin said.
Washington has historically maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether it would intervene militarily if Taiwan was attacked by China.
Asked in a CBS interview last month whether US troops would defend Taiwan, Biden said yes if it was an “unprecedented attack”.
Asked by CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria if the US military was preparing to send troops to Taiwan in line with Biden’s comments, Austin declined to answer directly.
“The US military is always ready to protect our interests and fulfill its commitments. I think the president was clear in his answers when he answered a hypothetical question,” Austin said.
“But, again, we continue to work to make sure we have the right capabilities in the right places to ensure we help our allies maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Meanwhile, Austin said the US is working to reopen military communication channels with China.
In August, Beijing suspended cooperation with the US in a number of areas, including dialogue between top military commanders, in retaliation for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Austin said he had spoken with China’s Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和) “by phone and in person” but the channel of communication between them was currently “not open”.
“We’re going to do everything we can to continue to signal that we want those channels open, and hopefully China will start to lean a little more forward and work with us,” Austin said.
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