Elections in Taiwan could test U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan will hold elections on Saturday for a new president and legislature. While China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its regime, Taiwan officials have increasingly worked to establish closer ties with nations in the West. China has increased its military displays, with aircraft and drone fly-bys just outside the Taiwanese protected zones as well as the harassment of Taiwan shipping and fishermen at sea.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao in Washington, D.C. The White House is seeking to ensure the results of the election in Taiwan do not exacerbate tensions that already exist between the U.S. and China as the two nations have recently held military-to-military talks at the Pentagon.
A senior U.S. official said, “The health of the U.S.-China relationship, I don’t think you can view as a derivative of cross-Strait tensions.”
Washington has also cautioned China not to interfere in the elections.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Blinken to receive God’s guidance as he engages Chinese ministers and advocates for peace in the Indo-Pacific.
- For wisdom for the president and administration officials as they seek to avoid increased tensions with China.
Sources: Reuters, Just The News, VOA News
