China Promises “Strong and Resolute Measures” in Response to McCarthy Meeting in Taiwan
China vows ‘strong and resolute measures’ in response to McCarthy-Tsai meeting
McCARTHY: US SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN ‘UNWAVERING’: In a rare display of bipartisanship, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and 18 members of Congress displayed a united front of support for Taiwan, as McCarthy hosted talks with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in an uncommon meeting on U.S. soil.
The backdrop for an afternoon news conference was former President Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One at his presidential library in Simi Valley, California. In carefully worded remarks, Tsai said Taiwan seeks to be a “reliable partner to the world, a cornerstone for stability in the region, and a force for good.”
“In the discussion with congressional leaders this morning, I reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to defending the peaceful status quo, where the people of Taiwan may continue to thrive in a free and open society,” Tsai remarked.
At a news conference later in the day, McCarthy said, “America’s support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering and bipartisan,” and in a tweet afterward, he pledged to work in Congress to speed up more military aid to Taipei.
“Based on today’s conversations, it’s clear several actions are necessary,” McCarthy tweeted. “We must continue arms sales to Taiwan and make sure such sales reach Taiwan on time. We must also strengthen our economic cooperation, particularly with trade and technology.”
OPINION: KEVIN MCCARTHY FAILS TO PRESSURE TAIWAN’S TSAI PUBLICLY ON DEFENSE SPENDING
CHINA: US ‘CONNIVING’ WITH TAIWAN: Beijing’s reaction to the high-level meeting was to release an angry statement accusing the U.S. of conniving with Taiwan to promote the latter’s independence and threatening “strong and resolute measures” in response.
“This is a serious violation of the one-China principle,” said the statement from China’s foreign ministry. “It seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends an egregiously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it.”
Beijing accused Washington of going down a “wrong and dangerous path” and urged it to “stop at once any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, stop upgrading substantive relations with Taiwan, stop creating factors that could cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait, stop containing China by exploiting the Taiwan question.”
“In response to the egregiously wrong action taken by the United States and Taiwan, China will take strong and resolute measures to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement warned.
While Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense tracked China’s Shandong aircraft carrier passing through the Bashi Strait to Taiwan’s southeast, and was watching three Chinese ships in the waters around Taiwan, so far, there have been no large-scale military exercises, like there were after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit last August.
BLINKEN: MEETING WAS ‘NOTHING NEW’: At a news conference at NATO headquarters, Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted U.S. policy toward Taiwan, including adherence to the “one China” policy, is unchanged and Beijing’s bellicose response is unwarranted.
“These transits by high-level Taiwanese authorities are nothing new. They’re private, they’re unofficial, but they’ve been going on for years … In fact, every Taiwan president has transited the United States at one point or another,” Blinken said.
“Beijing should not use the transits as an excuse to take any actions to ratchet up tensions, to further push at changing the status quo,” he continued. “And our objective remains the same: to have peace, to have stability across the Taiwan Strait, and to ensure that any differences that exist between mainland and Taiwan are resolved peacefully.”
BLINKEN WARNS CHINA NOT TO ‘PUSH AT CHANGING THE STATUS QUO’ OVER TAIWAN
Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE
Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what’s going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue!
HAPPENING TODAY: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is scheduled to deliver keynote remarks at the 2023 War Horse Symposium in Chicago, which the Pentagon says will include a Q-and-A session with comedian and activist Jon Stewart. The Pentagon will livestream the session at 7 p.m. EDT at https://www.defense.gov.
CHINESE EU AMBASSADOR: NO LIMITS ‘NOTHING BUT RHETORIC’: An interview China’s ambassador to the European Union has given to the New York Times is raising questions about just how unlimited China’s professed “no limits’ partnership with Russia actually is.
The Chinese ambassador, Fu Cong, was quoted as saying China was not on Russia’s side in the war and that some people “deliberately misinterpret this because there’s the so-called ‘no limit’ friendship or relationship,” adding, “‘No limit’ is nothing but rhetoric.”
Fu also insisted that China has not provided military assistance to Russia and does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and the Donbas.
US SKEPTICAL OF CHINESE DIPLOMAT ATTEMPTING TO DISTANCE BEIJING FROM MOSCOW
McCAUL IN TAIWAN: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) is in Taipei leading a bipartisan delegation including Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA); Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY), and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX).
“The delegation will meet with Taiwanese business leaders, as well as senior Taiwanese officials from the executive and legislative branches to discuss ways the U.S. can strengthen our economic and defense relationship with Taiwan in the face of growing threats in the region,” McCaul said in a statement.
CONGRESS VISITS THE DMZ: GOP REP. WARNS OF ‘NIGHTMARE SCENARIO’ ON KOREAN PENINSULA
PUTIN: US-RUSSIA RELATION IN ‘DEEP CRISIS’: Russian President Vladimir Putin used the occasion in which he was accepting diplomatic credentials from ambassadors of 17 nations, including the U.S., to say that relations between Moscow and Washington are in “deep crisis.”
“Unfortunately, relations between Russia and the United States, which directly affect global security and stability, are going through a deep crisis. It is rooted in fundamentally different approaches to the formation of the modern world order,” Putin said, directing his remarks to Lynne Tracy, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Moscow in January.
“Madam Ambassador, I do not wish to upset the positive atmosphere of the ceremony for presenting the letters of credence and I know that you probably won’t share my opinion,” Putin said. “But I must say that the use by the U.S. of such foreign policy tools as support for the so-called color revolutions, including support for the state coup in Ukraine in 2014, ultimately led to the current crisis in Ukraine and exacerbated the deterioration of Russia-U.S. relations.”
In a separate event, in which Putin met with members of his security council, he accused Western intelligence agencies of helping Ukraine carry out acts of sabotage, including on Russian territory.
“There are reasons to believe that the capabilities of third countries, Western special services, have been involved in preparation of acts of sabotage and terror attacks,” Putin said.
US DENIES PUTIN’S CLAIM OF INVOLVEMENT IN ‘TERROR ATTACKS’ AGAINST RUSSIA
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Blinken warns China not to ‘push at changing the status quo’ over Taiwan
Washington Examiner: Macron travels to China to push against backing Russia
Washington Examiner: NATO chief promises ‘severe consequences’ if China arms Russia
Washington Examiner: US denies Putin’s claim of involvement in ‘terror attacks’ against Russia
Washington Examiner: Congress visits the DMZ: GOP Rep. warns of ‘nightmare scenario’ on Korean Peninsula
Washington Examiner: US skeptical of Chinese diplomat attempting to distance Beijing from Moscow
Washington Examiner: Florida ban on Chinese drones goes into effect, despite usage by police
Washington Examiner: Rep. Mark Green reintroduces Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Kevin McCarthy fails to pressure Taiwan’s Tsai publicly on defense spending
New York Times: Macron Says He’ll Urge Xi To Act As Peacemaker
Reuters: China To Inspect Ships In Taiwan Strait, Taiwan Says Won’t Cooperate
AFP: Philippines’ Defence Shift Towards Washington Is Risking China’s Fury
Reuters: Ukraine Trains 40,000 Storm Brigade Troops For Counter-Offensive
AP: Russian charged with war crimes: Ukrainian kids can go home
AP: US flies nuclear-capable bombers amid tensions with N. Korea
AP: Report: Saudis, Iranians to reopen embassies, ease travel
19fortyfive.com: Putin’s Ukraine War Is Slowly Breaking the Russian Military
19fortyfive.com: Ukraine’s Coming Offensive: What Happens If It Fails?
19fortyfive.com: Video: Ukraine Has Massive New NATO ‘Cannon’ Ready to Fight Russia
Breaking Defense: Xi Likely ‘Not Aware’ of All Chinese Gray Zone Operations, US Intel Officer Says
Defense News: China, Russia Propaganda Wither as Cameras Multiply, US Admiral Says
The War Zone: Navy Carrier-Based Drones Will Be Able to Be Controlled by the Air Force
USNI News: CNO: Navy to Finalize Large Unmanned Surface Vessel Requirements Later This Year
National Defense Magazine: 31 Amphibious Ships are ‘Not Enough,’ Expert Says
Defense One: As Air Force Tries to Retire Jets, HASC’s Wittman Wants a Gapfiller
Air & Space Forces Magazine: SDA’s Tournear ‘Just Not’ Afraid of Satellite Shootdowns.
Air & Space Forces Magazine: It’s Official: The Re-Engined B-52 Will be the B-52J
Air & Space Forces Magazine: NATO Air Exercise Will Offer Germany ‘High Value’ Lessons on F-35 Operations, Luftwaffe Boss Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: The Future Force
Defense News: Heavy Lift Helicopter Program Prepping For 2025 First Deployment
Breaking Defense: Navy, Marines Race For Better At-Sea Connectivity Using Clouds
19fortyfive.com: F-15EX Fighter: The Air Force Should Buy As Many As They Can
19fortyfive.com: F-35C: The Best Fifth-Generation Stealth Fighter?
Marine Corps Times: Over-Classified Information Hampers Work With Allies, Top Marines Say
Military.com: Guardsmen, Reservists Would Get Expanded Parental Leave Under Senate Bill
Calendar
THURSDAY | APRIL 6
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Ways Ukraine can join the European Union within a reasonable timeline and with clear conditions for accession,” with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna https://www.csis.org/events/conversation-olga-stefanishyna
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies “Aerospace Nation” event with Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, U.S. Air Force; and Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements, U.S. Space Force https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/april-6
2 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research discussion: “Reconstructing Ukraine’s Infrastructure,” with R. Richard Geddes, nonresident senior fellow, AEI; Natalie Jaresko, managing director of EY-Parthenon; Matthew Murray, adjunct professor at Columbia University; former U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick, senior counselor at the Brunswick Group; and former Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), distinguished visiting fellow in the practice of public policy, AEI https://www.aei.org/events/reconstructing-ukraines-infrastructure
FRIDAY | APRIL 7
9 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs annual conference: “China’s Economic Development and U.S.-China Economic Relations” https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/annual_conference_on_china
11 a.m. — Washington Post live virtual discussion: “U.S. military readiness and innovation in a new international and technological era,” with Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee; and retired Adm. Harry Harris, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 12
8 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Cyber Media Forum breakfast-discussion with Nathaniel Fick, ambassador at large, State Department Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“‘No limit’ is nothing but rhetoric.”
China’s ambassador to the E.U. Fu Cong, in an interview with the New York Times, downplaying Russia and China’s declaration of a “no limits” friendship last year.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
