China has been carrying out war games, says US diplomat

On Wednesday, Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, said on Wednesday that China, which claims Taiwan has its territory, has been carrying out war games and military drills around the island this month, in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei.

On a conference call, Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said China had used Pelosi's trip as an excuse to change the status quo, jeopardising peace.

He said that these actions are part of an increased pressure campaign by the PRC against Taiwan, which we expect to continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months, referring to China's official name, the People's Republic of China. The campaign's aim is to intimidate and coerce Taiwan and undermine its resilience. Kritenbrink said that the United States has been clear with China that its approach to Taiwan has not changed, including the US commitment to its one China policy and not supporting Taiwan's formal independence.

Our policy has not changed, but what has changed is Beijing's growing coercion. The PRC's words and actions are deeply destabilising. They risk miscalculation and threaten the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.