On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Reuters Next conference that Chinese officials should consider carefully about their behaviour toward Taiwan, warning of “grave consequences” if China sparks a conflict across the Taiwan Strait.
In an interview, Blinken discussed various foreign policy issues confronting President Joe Biden’s administration, including stalled efforts to fix the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Russia’s military buildup in Ukraine, and Ethiopia’s spiralling crisis.
China’s increasingly confrontational posture toward Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, may be the most acute. Taiwan’s defence minister has stated that tensions with China are at an all-time high, adding that China is capable of staging a “full-scale” invasion by 2025.
When asked if China will invade Taiwan, Blinken said ‘that would be a potentially terrible option,’ underlining Washington’s view that it is ‘resolutely committed’ to ensuring Taiwan’s ability to defend itself.
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