China Must Show It Is Not An Agent Of Instability In Taiwan Says Us Ambassador To China

Now “it is up to the government here in Beijing to convince the rest of the world that it will act peacefully in the future,” the ambassador said. “I think there’s a lot of concern around the world that China has now become a destabilizing factor in the Taiwan Strait, and that’s not in anyone’s interest.” Burns, a career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, arrived in Beijing in March to take on what is arguably the most important U.S. diplomatic post — navigating U.S.-China relations already strained by tensions over a range of issues , including China’s human rights record, trade practices and military expansion in the South China Sea. China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions have also reduced diplomatic travel to and from China, putting Burns even more clearly at the forefront of handling the increasingly contentious relationship between the world’s two largest economies. That much was clear on the evening of Aug. 2, when Burns received a call to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng at what he describes as the exact moment the plane carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation landed in Taipei. “We had a very lively, I would say quite contentious meeting,” Burns said, detailing for the first time that discussion, which was confirmed by both Washington and Beijing at the time. “I defended the speaker. I defended her right to travel to Taiwan. I defended the peace and stability we’ve had in the Taiwan Strait for nearly six decades,” Burns said, adding that he challenged Xi to ensure the Chinese government acted in a way that would “promote peace and stability”. Instead, Burns said, Beijing designed its response, including sending missiles over Taiwan, to “intimidate and coerce the Taiwanese authorities” and “wage a global campaign” blaming the U.S. for what it sees as undermining stability in the Taiwan Straits. “We’ve been very, very clear about (maintaining our policy). The issue is — is a government going to react in an aggressive and violent way to disrupt the peace? That should concern everyone in the world,” he said.

Diplomatic consequences

The US supports the “One China” policy, but has never accepted the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington maintains “strategic ambiguity” over whether to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The Communist Party has long vowed to “reunify” the island, which it has never controlled, with mainland China, by force if necessary. China denounced Pelosi’s visit as a violation of its “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” with Burns’ counterpart, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang earlier this month saying the U.S. should “bear responsibility” for the situation that they have created. Beijing’s diplomatic retaliation included canceling future phone calls and meetings between Chinese and US defense leaders and suspending bilateral climate talks between the countries — the world’s two biggest carbon emitters. Those measures, and Pelosi’s visit, followed a phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in late July, in which both sides said their teams would stay in touch on cooperation. , including — according to the White House — a possible face-to-face meeting. The two have not met in person during Biden’s presidency, with Xi conducting most of his Covid-era diplomacy via video link.
Burns said Beijing’s diplomatic moves in the wake of Pelosi’s visit could have global ramifications, adding that China’s suspension of climate talks would affect the Global South and countries most sensitive to climate change. “We strongly urge (China) to return to the negotiating table with the United States on climate,” Burns said. “We should have regular high-level talks on the issues that divide us, because that is in the interest of both countries and certainly in the interest of the world,” he said, adding that while there was official contact through embassy counterparts, there was no ‘substitute’ for senior cabinet-level talks. Asked whether any lessons Beijing may have learned from watching Russia invade Ukraine could be applied to Taiwan, Burns said the US is “watching China very carefully as it conducts its relationship with Russia.” China has refused to condemn the invasion or refer to it as such. “We have been very clear that there will be consequences if there is systemic support from the Chinese government for Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine,” he said, adding that they had not seen such support.

Building connections

Burns has fitted sensitive briefs before. He was the lead official negotiating thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, military aid to Israel and the US-India Nuclear Deal. And this time, he says the US mission in China is trying “its best to connect” with its counterparts. Engaging with the Chinese public was another “major ambition”, said the ambassador, who has traveled to China several times since his first trip in 1988, including a visit to mark the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. But Burns said his work connecting with the Chinese, both in person and through the embassy’s social media channels, has also been challenged by China’s zero-Covid screening measures — which can make travel to internal and personal meetings — and regular censorship of embassy posts on Chinese social media platforms. “We feel very strongly that we need to go out and visit people and do diplomacy with the Chinese people as well as the Chinese government. So we definitely want to see the day when zero Covid ends, but that’s really a decision not for us, that’s for the Chinese government,” said the ambassador, who has spent more than 30 days in quarantine at her behest Chinese government during his stay there. “Pernicious censorship” by Chinese authorities has censored embassies’ social media posts, including those about US China policy, Hong Kong, NATO and support for LGBTQI Pride, Burns said. At the same time, Burns said, he was “disturbed” by Chinese government narratives that blame the war in Ukraine on the United States and NATO, rather than Russia, for launching the invasion — an issue he said he has raised with his Chinese counterparts. . Despite these challenges and the U.S. commitment to “compete responsibly” with China, Burns called on China to meet the U.S. “halfway,” both to discuss their differences and issues on which they could cooperate for the greater good: “You have to come to the negotiating table to work together,” he said.

title: “China Must Show It Is Not An Agent Of Instability In Taiwan Says Us Ambassador To China Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Julie Lindsey”

Now “it is up to the government here in Beijing to convince the rest of the world that it will act peacefully in the future,” the ambassador said. “I think there’s a lot of concern around the world that China has now become a destabilizing factor in the Taiwan Strait, and that’s not in anyone’s interest.” Burns, a career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, arrived in Beijing in March to take on what is arguably the most important U.S. diplomatic post — navigating U.S.-China relations already strained by tensions over a range of issues , including China’s human rights record, trade practices and military expansion in the South China Sea. China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions have also reduced diplomatic travel to and from China, putting Burns even more clearly at the forefront of handling the increasingly contentious relationship between the world’s two largest economies. That much was clear on the evening of Aug. 2, when Burns received a call to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng at what he describes as the exact moment the plane carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation landed in Taipei. “We had a very lively, I would say quite contentious meeting,” Burns said, detailing for the first time that discussion, which was confirmed by both Washington and Beijing at the time. “I defended the speaker. I defended her right to travel to Taiwan. I defended the peace and stability we’ve had in the Taiwan Strait for nearly six decades,” Burns said, adding that he challenged Xi to ensure the Chinese government acted in a way that would “promote peace and stability”. Instead, Burns said, Beijing designed its response, including sending missiles over Taiwan, to “intimidate and coerce the Taiwanese authorities” and “wage a global campaign” blaming the U.S. for what it sees as undermining stability in the Taiwan Straits. “We’ve been very, very clear about (maintaining our policy). The issue is — is a government going to react in an aggressive and violent way to disrupt the peace? That should concern everyone in the world,” he said.

Diplomatic consequences

The US supports the “One China” policy, but has never accepted the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington maintains “strategic ambiguity” over whether to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The Communist Party has long vowed to “reunify” the island, which it has never controlled, with mainland China, by force if necessary. China denounced Pelosi’s visit as a violation of its “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” with Burns’ counterpart, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang earlier this month saying the U.S. should “bear responsibility” for the situation that they have created. Beijing’s diplomatic retaliation included canceling future phone calls and meetings between Chinese and US defense leaders and suspending bilateral climate talks between the countries — the world’s two biggest carbon emitters. Those measures, and Pelosi’s visit, followed a phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in late July, in which both sides said their teams would stay in touch on cooperation. , including — according to the White House — a possible face-to-face meeting. The two have not met in person during Biden’s presidency, with Xi conducting most of his Covid-era diplomacy via video link.
Burns said Beijing’s diplomatic moves in the wake of Pelosi’s visit could have global ramifications, adding that China’s suspension of climate talks would affect the Global South and countries most sensitive to climate change. “We strongly urge (China) to return to the negotiating table with the United States on climate,” Burns said. “We should have regular high-level talks on the issues that divide us, because that is in the interest of both countries and certainly in the interest of the world,” he said, adding that while there was official contact through embassy counterparts, there was no ‘substitute’ for senior cabinet-level talks. Asked whether any lessons Beijing may have learned from watching Russia invade Ukraine could be applied to Taiwan, Burns said the US is “watching China very carefully as it conducts its relationship with Russia.” China has refused to condemn the invasion or refer to it as such. “We have been very clear that there will be consequences if there is systemic support from the Chinese government for Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine,” he said, adding that they had not seen such support.

Building connections

Burns has fitted sensitive briefs before. He was the lead official negotiating thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, military aid to Israel and the US-India Nuclear Deal. And this time, he says the US mission in China is trying “its best to connect” with its counterparts. Engaging with the Chinese public was another “major ambition”, said the ambassador, who has traveled to China several times since his first trip in 1988, including a visit to mark the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. But Burns said his work connecting with the Chinese, both in person and through the embassy’s social media channels, has also been challenged by China’s zero-Covid screening measures — which can make travel to internal and personal meetings — and regular censorship of embassy posts on Chinese social media platforms. “We feel very strongly that we need to go out and visit people and do diplomacy with the Chinese people as well as the Chinese government. So we definitely want to see the day when zero Covid ends, but that’s really a decision not for us, that’s for the Chinese government,” said the ambassador, who has spent more than 30 days in quarantine at her behest Chinese government during his stay there. “Pernicious censorship” by Chinese authorities has censored embassies’ social media posts, including those about US China policy, Hong Kong, NATO and support for LGBTQI Pride, Burns said. At the same time, Burns said, he was “disturbed” by Chinese government narratives that blame the war in Ukraine on the United States and NATO, rather than Russia, for launching the invasion — an issue he said he has raised with his Chinese counterparts. . Despite these challenges and the U.S. commitment to “compete responsibly” with China, Burns called on China to meet the U.S. “halfway,” both to discuss their differences and issues on which they could cooperate for the greater good: “You have to come to the negotiating table to work together,” he said.

title: “China Must Show It Is Not An Agent Of Instability In Taiwan Says Us Ambassador To China Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Barbara Muniz”

Now “it is up to the government here in Beijing to convince the rest of the world that it will act peacefully in the future,” the ambassador said. “I think there’s a lot of concern around the world that China has now become a destabilizing factor in the Taiwan Strait, and that’s not in anyone’s interest.” Burns, a career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, arrived in Beijing in March to take on what is arguably the most important U.S. diplomatic post — navigating U.S.-China relations already strained by tensions over a range of issues , including China’s human rights record, trade practices and military expansion in the South China Sea. China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions have also reduced diplomatic travel to and from China, putting Burns even more clearly at the forefront of handling the increasingly contentious relationship between the world’s two largest economies. That much was clear on the evening of Aug. 2, when Burns received a call to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng at what he describes as the exact moment the plane carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation landed in Taipei. “We had a very lively, I would say quite contentious meeting,” Burns said, detailing for the first time that discussion, which was confirmed by both Washington and Beijing at the time. “I defended the speaker. I defended her right to travel to Taiwan. I defended the peace and stability we’ve had in the Taiwan Strait for nearly six decades,” Burns said, adding that he challenged Xi to ensure the Chinese government acted in a way that would “promote peace and stability”. Instead, Burns said, Beijing designed its response, including sending missiles over Taiwan, to “intimidate and coerce the Taiwanese authorities” and “wage a global campaign” blaming the U.S. for what it sees as undermining stability in the Taiwan Straits. “We’ve been very, very clear about (maintaining our policy). The issue is — is a government going to react in an aggressive and violent way to disrupt the peace? That should concern everyone in the world,” he said.

Diplomatic consequences

The US supports the “One China” policy, but has never accepted the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington maintains “strategic ambiguity” over whether to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The Communist Party has long vowed to “reunify” the island, which it has never controlled, with mainland China, by force if necessary. China denounced Pelosi’s visit as a violation of its “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” with Burns’ counterpart, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang earlier this month saying the U.S. should “bear responsibility” for the situation that they have created. Beijing’s diplomatic retaliation included canceling future phone calls and meetings between Chinese and US defense leaders and suspending bilateral climate talks between the countries — the world’s two biggest carbon emitters. Those measures, and Pelosi’s visit, followed a phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in late July, in which both sides said their teams would stay in touch on cooperation. , including — according to the White House — a possible face-to-face meeting. The two have not met in person during Biden’s presidency, with Xi conducting most of his Covid-era diplomacy via video link.
Burns said Beijing’s diplomatic moves in the wake of Pelosi’s visit could have global ramifications, adding that China’s suspension of climate talks would affect the Global South and countries most sensitive to climate change. “We strongly urge (China) to return to the negotiating table with the United States on climate,” Burns said. “We should have regular high-level talks on the issues that divide us, because that is in the interest of both countries and certainly in the interest of the world,” he said, adding that while there was official contact through embassy counterparts, there was no ‘substitute’ for senior cabinet-level talks. Asked whether any lessons Beijing may have learned from watching Russia invade Ukraine could be applied to Taiwan, Burns said the US is “watching China very carefully as it conducts its relationship with Russia.” China has refused to condemn the invasion or refer to it as such. “We have been very clear that there will be consequences if there is systemic support from the Chinese government for Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine,” he said, adding that they had not seen such support.

Building connections

Burns has fitted sensitive briefs before. He was the lead official negotiating thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, military aid to Israel and the US-India Nuclear Deal. And this time, he says the US mission in China is trying “its best to connect” with its counterparts. Engaging with the Chinese public was another “major ambition”, said the ambassador, who has traveled to China several times since his first trip in 1988, including a visit to mark the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. But Burns said his work connecting with the Chinese, both in person and through the embassy’s social media channels, has also been challenged by China’s zero-Covid screening measures — which can make travel to internal and personal meetings — and regular censorship of embassy posts on Chinese social media platforms. “We feel very strongly that we need to go out and visit people and do diplomacy with the Chinese people as well as the Chinese government. So we definitely want to see the day when zero Covid ends, but that’s really a decision not for us, that’s for the Chinese government,” said the ambassador, who has spent more than 30 days in quarantine at her behest Chinese government during his stay there. “Pernicious censorship” by Chinese authorities has censored embassies’ social media posts, including those about US China policy, Hong Kong, NATO and support for LGBTQI Pride, Burns said. At the same time, Burns said, he was “disturbed” by Chinese government narratives that blame the war in Ukraine on the United States and NATO, rather than Russia, for launching the invasion — an issue he said he has raised with his Chinese counterparts. . Despite these challenges and the U.S. commitment to “compete responsibly” with China, Burns called on China to meet the U.S. “halfway,” both to discuss their differences and issues on which they could cooperate for the greater good: “You have to come to the negotiating table to work together,” he said.

title: “China Must Show It Is Not An Agent Of Instability In Taiwan Says Us Ambassador To China Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Maxine Beatty”

Now “it is up to the government here in Beijing to convince the rest of the world that it will act peacefully in the future,” the ambassador said. “I think there’s a lot of concern around the world that China has now become a destabilizing factor in the Taiwan Strait, and that’s not in anyone’s interest.” Burns, a career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, arrived in Beijing in March to take on what is arguably the most important U.S. diplomatic post — navigating U.S.-China relations already strained by tensions over a range of issues , including China’s human rights record, trade practices and military expansion in the South China Sea. China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions have also reduced diplomatic travel to and from China, putting Burns even more clearly at the forefront of handling the increasingly contentious relationship between the world’s two largest economies. That much was clear on the evening of Aug. 2, when Burns received a call to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng at what he describes as the exact moment the plane carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation landed in Taipei. “We had a very lively, I would say quite contentious meeting,” Burns said, detailing for the first time that discussion, which was confirmed by both Washington and Beijing at the time. “I defended the speaker. I defended her right to travel to Taiwan. I defended the peace and stability we’ve had in the Taiwan Strait for nearly six decades,” Burns said, adding that he challenged Xi to ensure the Chinese government acted in a way that would “promote peace and stability”. Instead, Burns said, Beijing designed its response, including sending missiles over Taiwan, to “intimidate and coerce the Taiwanese authorities” and “wage a global campaign” blaming the U.S. for what it sees as undermining stability in the Taiwan Straits. “We’ve been very, very clear about (maintaining our policy). The issue is — is a government going to react in an aggressive and violent way to disrupt the peace? That should concern everyone in the world,” he said.

Diplomatic consequences

The US supports the “One China” policy, but has never accepted the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington maintains “strategic ambiguity” over whether to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The Communist Party has long vowed to “reunify” the island, which it has never controlled, with mainland China, by force if necessary. China denounced Pelosi’s visit as a violation of its “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” with Burns’ counterpart, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang earlier this month saying the U.S. should “bear responsibility” for the situation that they have created. Beijing’s diplomatic retaliation included canceling future phone calls and meetings between Chinese and US defense leaders and suspending bilateral climate talks between the countries — the world’s two biggest carbon emitters. Those measures, and Pelosi’s visit, followed a phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in late July, in which both sides said their teams would stay in touch on cooperation. , including — according to the White House — a possible face-to-face meeting. The two have not met in person during Biden’s presidency, with Xi conducting most of his Covid-era diplomacy via video link.
Burns said Beijing’s diplomatic moves in the wake of Pelosi’s visit could have global ramifications, adding that China’s suspension of climate talks would affect the Global South and countries most sensitive to climate change. “We strongly urge (China) to return to the negotiating table with the United States on climate,” Burns said. “We should have regular high-level talks on the issues that divide us, because that is in the interest of both countries and certainly in the interest of the world,” he said, adding that while there was official contact through embassy counterparts, there was no ‘substitute’ for senior cabinet-level talks. Asked whether any lessons Beijing may have learned from watching Russia invade Ukraine could be applied to Taiwan, Burns said the US is “watching China very carefully as it conducts its relationship with Russia.” China has refused to condemn the invasion or refer to it as such. “We have been very clear that there will be consequences if there is systemic support from the Chinese government for Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine,” he said, adding that they had not seen such support.

Building connections

Burns has fitted sensitive briefs before. He was the lead official negotiating thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, military aid to Israel and the US-India Nuclear Deal. And this time, he says the US mission in China is trying “its best to connect” with its counterparts. Engaging with the Chinese public was another “major ambition”, said the ambassador, who has traveled to China several times since his first trip in 1988, including a visit to mark the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. But Burns said his work connecting with the Chinese, both in person and through the embassy’s social media channels, has also been challenged by China’s zero-Covid screening measures — which can make travel to internal and personal meetings — and regular censorship of embassy posts on Chinese social media platforms. “We feel very strongly that we need to go out and visit people and do diplomacy with the Chinese people as well as the Chinese government. So we definitely want to see the day when zero Covid ends, but that’s really a decision not for us, that’s for the Chinese government,” said the ambassador, who has spent more than 30 days in quarantine at her behest Chinese government during his stay there. “Pernicious censorship” by Chinese authorities has censored embassies’ social media posts, including those about US China policy, Hong Kong, NATO and support for LGBTQI Pride, Burns said. At the same time, Burns said, he was “disturbed” by Chinese government narratives that blame the war in Ukraine on the United States and NATO, rather than Russia, for launching the invasion — an issue he said he has raised with his Chinese counterparts. . Despite these challenges and the U.S. commitment to “compete responsibly” with China, Burns called on China to meet the U.S. “halfway,” both to discuss their differences and issues on which they could cooperate for the greater good: “You have to come to the negotiating table to work together,” he said.