“The United States should fully understand the root causes of the maritime and air security issues, strictly restrain its front-line forces, and stop hyping up (the issues),” China’s Ministry of National Defense was cited as stating.
Officially known as the US-PRC (People’s Republic of China) Defense Policy Coordination Talks, they were last held virtually in 2021. Beijing suspended military communications channels with Washington last year to protest a controversial visit by then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, governed independently of mainland China, but regarded by the PRC as its province.
Taiwan will hold the polls on January 13, 2024. In April, Taiwan’s ruling DPP officially nominated its chairman, Lai Ching-te, as the party’s leadership candidate. Taiwan’s incumbent leader, Tsai Ing-wen, is no longer eligible for reelection, as she has already served two consecutive terms as the island’s president.