US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Daniel Krettenbrink accused China of intimidating Taiwan and trying to subjugate it, as Washington and Taipei prepare to launch negotiations to boost trade relations between them.

And this August, Beijing carried out several days of air and naval maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait, coinciding with a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, followed by another visit by a delegation from the US Congress.

In response to the Chinese maneuvers, Taiwan held maneuvers in which it simulated how to counter a possible Chinese invasion.

Reuters quoted Krittenbrink as saying that China used the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan as an excuse to try to change the status quo on the island, expecting the Chinese campaign of pressure on Taiwan to continue.

Krettenbrink stressed that the United States has been upfront with China that its approach to Taiwan has not changed, including Washington's adherence to the "one China" policy and not supporting Taiwan's formal independence.

"While our policy has not changed, what has changed is the increasing coercion from Beijing, which is putting pressure on Taipei, risking miscalculation and threatening peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," he added.

Krettenbrink added that the US lines of communication with Beijing are still open, but it will continue to support Taiwan and take calm but firm steps to support peace and stability in the face of Beijing's continuous efforts to undermine them, he said.

Washington does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is obligated by law to provide it with the means to defend itself.

Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the island part of its territory, and Beijing rejects official contacts between other countries and Taipei.

aerial review

On the other hand, Taiwan yesterday evening displayed its most advanced fighter, an American-made F-16V warplane equipped with missiles, during a rare night flight that followed unprecedented military exercises conducted by China off the coast of the island.

Yesterday evening, elements of the Taiwan Air Force at a base in Hualien County (east) loaded US-made Harpoon AGM-84 anti-ship missiles under the wings of an F-16V fighter. An upgraded and more complex version of the F-16 fighter, dating back to the 1990s.

As part of this exercise on "combat readiness", 6 F-16V aircraft - including two armed with missiles - took off from the air base at night, on a night reconnaissance mission, according to the Taiwan Air Force.

"In the face of the threat posed by the recent military exercises by the Chinese Communist forces, we have remained vigilant, while at the same time establishing the concept of battlefields anywhere and training at any time, to ensure the country's national security," the air force said in a statement.


Chinese exercises

In a related context, the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the army will conduct military exercises in Russia with the participation of India, Belarus and other countries.

The ministry added that China will participate in this training to enhance cooperation with the armies of these countries, according to the "Bloomberg" news agency on Wednesday.

The ministry said that China's participation has nothing to do with the current regional and international situation.

The leadership of the "Eastern Theater" of the Chinese People's Liberation Army last week completed its military training missions near Taiwan, and will conduct regular patrols in the region, the regional military command center said in a statement.

Taiwan said the Chinese exercises show preparations for a possible invasion, and it lives under constant threat of invasion from China, which claims sovereignty over the island.

Taiwan is self-governing, but China considers it an inalienable part of its territory and asserts that the island will return to its sovereignty one day, by force if necessary.


business negotiations

Economically, the United States and Taiwan announced that trade talks will officially start between them.

The two sides had set broad goals for the trade talks aimed at deepening their trade and investment relationship, promoting mutual trade priorities based on shared values, and promoting innovation and inclusive economic growth for their workers and companies, said Sarah Bianchi, deputy US trade representative.

The Taiwan Trade Negotiating Office also announced the start of official talks early Thursday morning, Taipei time, saying it aims to conduct negotiations to attract more US investment and pave the way for Taiwan to join international trading blocs, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. led by Japan.

The Taiwan Trade Office confirmed that customs duties would not be discussed.

Trade negotiations are expected to start in early autumn, the US Trade Representative's office announced, and the official Taiwan Central News Agency reported the same timeframe.

Washington and Taipei unveiled the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade" last June.