The United States (US) slammed China on Saturday, Aug. 6 after Beijing announced the suspension of their climate talks following the controversial visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken said China “should not hold hostage cooperation” on matters that have long-term effects in the region and on the planet because of differences between the two countries.
In an official visit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, Blinken said “the Philippines knows how alarming this is” as it is one of the countries and being an island nation that is vulnerable to climate change.
Blinken also noticed how “disproportion” was China’s response with regard to Pelosi’s “peaceful visit,” which was also done by other US congressional delegations in the past months and years.
He said China responded by firing ballistic missiles and making military maneuvers that threatened to impede passenger ships and global commerce.
“Don’t use it as a pretext to do what you’ve just done because this is not something that happened overnight or in a vacuum,” Blinken told China, referring to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which the latter claimed to be part of its territory.
He also alleged that China engaged in actions that destabilized the region and were “potentially dangerous” with regard to Taiwan.
The US state secretary said the Asian giant was the one that changed the status quo in the region and not the US.
For its part, the Philippines, which is located just south of Taiwan, is willing to help in the deescalation of tensions, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo told reporters in a joint press conference with Blinken.
Manalo said it is important to keep the line of communications open—a perspective shared by the US, which is willing to manage differences responsibly.