2023-04-26 07:58:02
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China warned once morest continuing cooperation between the United States and Taiwan on Wednesday, in response to reports that Washington was sending officers to help train their Taiwanese counterparts and ahead of Taiwan’s visit. a delegation of defense contractors to the self-governing island next week.
“We strongly oppose the United States having any kind of official or military contact with the Taiwan Chinese region,” Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said during her weekly press conference in Beijing.
Taiwan and China separated in 1949 following a civil war. Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the Communist Party says it is bound to join the mainland, by force if necessary.
President Xi Jinping’s government has flown increasing numbers of fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan and fired missiles into the sea in an attempt to intimidate the island.
Taiwanese media reported this month that the United States sent 200 troops, mostly marines, to help train troops on the island. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has neither denied nor confirmed the information.
Meanwhile, a delegation of some 25 defense contractors will visit the island next week, invited by the US-Taiwan Business Consortium. Nikkei Asia reported that the arms manufacturers will discuss the joint production of drones and ammunition on the island.
“American defense contractors are intentionally provoking confrontation between the two sides, using the opportunity to make a profit,” said Zhu, who accused the Democratic Progressive Party, in power for six years, of collaborating with the United States to put pressure on the favor of the formal independence of the island.
Washington does not formally recognize Taiwan’s government, but it is the main supplier of arms and other security items, as well as political backing, to Taipei. China raised the pressure by deploying its aircraft and ships in the vicinity of the island almost daily, especially in response to political meetings between the two countries.
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