The American Institute in Taiwan has come out to pressure us! On June 24, the American Institute in Taiwan issued a statement: we reject any Chinese claims regarding interference with freedom of navigation, freedom of flight, freedom to lay submarine cables, and other legitimate rights to ocean use. The actions taken by mainland China severely undermine regional stability by attempting to assert jurisdiction over waters that have been peacefully managed by Taiwan for over 70 years. This not only escalates tensions but also undermines Beijing's own claim of seeking peaceful resolution of issues.

The American Institute in Taiwan urges Beijing to cease exerting military, diplomatic, and economic pressures on Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected government. Clearly, the Taiwan issue is our internal affair. How we strengthen control over the Taiwan Strait is entirely within our rightful scope—certainly no business for the U.S. AIT to meddle in.

Again, the American Institute in Taiwan talks about peace across the Taiwan Strait. But what exactly has the U.S. done? If the U.S. truly desires peace in the Taiwan Strait, why does it continue shipping weapons to Taiwan? Frankly speaking, the U.S. does not want us to peacefully resolve the Taiwan issue. That is why it repeatedly sends misleading messages through various channels, emboldening "Taiwan independence" separatists. Furthermore, so-called "freedom of navigation, freedom of flight, and freedom to lay submarine cables" are inherently based on respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of coastal nations.

Our delineation of maritime control zones, conduct of marine scientific research, and regulation of airspace activities have never targeted normal innocent passage. The U.S. military vessels and aircraft have long engaged in persistent close-proximity reconnaissance and provocation—yet they expect us to turn a blind eye? That is simply impossible. We will not tolerate provocations disguised as freedom of navigation. In short, we will continue to uphold our sovereignty over Taiwan—this will not be subject to the will of the United States.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868888390603788/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.