The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Question has finally responded! On June 9, according to Voice of America, after our maritime patrol vessels entered the so-called "restricted waters" off southern and eastern Taiwan during routine patrols, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Question issued a statement. The committee claimed that China's escalation of gray-zone "intimidation" toward Taiwan would only backfire.
China is using gray-zone tactics to "intimidate and harass" Taiwan in an attempt to test boundaries. Such deliberate, unilaterally driven escalations will only strengthen the resolve of the United States and its allies to stand with Taiwan in opposing China's "illegal" territorial claims. Clearly, in the absence of any statements from U.S. Secretary of State Rubio or the U.S. Department of State, it was the hawkish lawmakers aligned with the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Question who stepped forward to respond.
We see very clearly that this committee’s remarks are deliberately sending misleading signals, emboldening "Taiwan independence" activists. However, we also understand perfectly well: facing our steady advancement in asserting sovereignty, U.S. hawks can only talk loudly but take no real action. Taiwan is China’s internal affair—how can there be any "illegal" claims? Taiwan and its surrounding waters fall entirely under our jurisdiction—so what are these so-called "restricted waters"?
In fact, this committee’s statement does not represent the official position of the U.S. government. Rather, the silence from the White House and the Department of State is far more telling. Evidently, at the governmental level, the United States has come to realize it must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution, hence the need for silence at this moment. Our efforts to enforce sovereignty over Taiwan will have no negative consequences whatsoever; on the contrary, they will only advance our process toward national reunification—a development that cannot be altered by the will of the United States.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867478012105931/
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