Vice President Kamala Harris condemned China’s recent “provocations” and pledged American support toward Taiwan’s self-defense during a tour of a U.S. Naval base in Japan on Wednesday.
Speaking aboard the USS Howard at the Yokosuka Naval Base, the vice president accused Beijing of challenging the freedom of the seas and flexing its “military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors.”
She said the U.S. remains unbowed by Beijing’s “disturbing behavior” and will continue to “oppose any unilateral change to the status quo.”
“The United States believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an essential feature of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” she said adding that the U.S. would “continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense consistent with our long-standing policy.”
Ms. Harris arrived in Japan on Monday to lead a U.S. delegation for the funeral of slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and meet with regional leaders in a bid to “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to our allies in an increasingly complex security environment.”
The high-profile visit to the region amid increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait adds to White House actions meant to bolster the vice president’s foreign policy chops, as speculation grows over President Biden’s intent to seek reelection in 2024.
The U.S.-China ties have become increasingly strained after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taipei in August.
The California Democrat became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan in decades, sparking a series of Chinese military exercises surrounding the island that is 100 miles off of the mainland.
The White House has warned that China’s reaction to the high-profile stopover could cast a far-reaching shadow over U.S.-Chinese relations for the foreseeable future.
Relations became further inflamed earlier this week after Mr. Biden said in an interview on CBS’ “60 minutes” that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if China launches “an unprecedented attack” on the self-governed island.
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has adhered to the so-called “One China” policy, under which Washington has long acknowledged Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China, even though the United States maintains informal diplomatic relations and substantial defense ties with the island democracy — and does not technically recognize Chinese sovereignty over it.
Shortly after the interview aired, the White House said the U.S. policy toward China had not changed.
On Wednesday, Ms. Harris told reporters that the U.S. remains “dedicated to the principles we have long stated.”
The U.S. also faces growing tensions with an increasingly bellicose North Korea that has significantly ramped up weapons testing under the Biden administration.
On Sunday, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile in what South Korean officials said was a response to the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan at the port of Busan.
The high ship is participating in joint military drills with South Korea that began Monday, the first such joint exercises between the two countries in five years.
On Thursday, Ms. Harris is scheduled to travel to South Korea where she will meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.
On Wednesday, the day before Ms. Harris’ scheduled visit, South Korean officials said North Korea fired two more short-range missiles into the waters off its east coast.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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