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Updated April 8th, 2021 at 13:48 IST

US rebuffs China over Taiwan intimidation

The State Department expressed 'great concern' after the U.S. military warned that China is probably accelerating its timetable for capturing control of Taiwan, the island democracy that has been the chief source of tension between Washington and Beijing for decades.

US rebuffs China over Taiwan intimidation
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The State Department expressed 'great concern' after the U.S. military warned that China is probably accelerating its timetable for capturing control of Taiwan, the island democracy that has been the chief source of tension between Washington and Beijing for decades.

It is widely seen as the most likely trigger for a potentially catastrophic U.S.-China war.

A military move against Taiwan, however, would be a test of U.S. support for the island that Beijing views as a breakaway province. For the Biden administration, it could present the choice of abandoning a friendly, democratic entity or risking what could become an all-out war over a cause that is not on the radar of most Americans.

The United States has long pledged to help Taiwan defend itself, but it has deliberately left unclear how far it would go in response to a Chinese attack.

“The United States maintains the capacity to resist any resort to force or any other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said.

The State Department also announced a resumption of U.S. assistance to the Palestinians, including to the U.N. agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, nearly all of which had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump.

The State Department said it would provide a total of $235 million to projects in the West Bank and Gaza as well as to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA.

The administration had previously announced $15 million for the Palestinians to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The resumption in assistance has met opposition in Congress from pro-Israel lawmakers, who say the money may violate U.S. law.

The resumption of assistance was immediately welcomed by the United Nations, UNRWA itself and the Palestinians, while Israel expressed deep concern.

The Associated Press has previously reported that the administration notified Congress of its intent to ramp up aid to the Palestinians, but until Wednesday it had not publicly acknowledged any assistance other than that for COVID-19. The new assistance comes as the administration cements a new Mideast policy that in many ways is directly opposite of the one pursued by Trump.

Republican members of Congress are already gearing up to fight the aid. The announcement came on the same day that President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict in a phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Price said U.S. support to the Palestinians is key to advancing American interests in the region.

 

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Published April 8th, 2021 at 13:48 IST

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