(OTTAWA) Beijing’s belligerent stance in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit is on Canada’s radar.
Posted at 4:15 p.m.
“We are extremely concerned at this time about the tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the increased level of Chinese military activity […] We are monitoring the situation closely,” Defense Minister Anita Anand said in an interview on Tuesday.
Saying that she had discussed the issue with her colleague Mélanie Joly, at Foreign Affairs, she added that Ottawa called on “all parties to refrain from actions” likely to “compromise peace and stability across the strait. of Taiwan”.
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island that Beijing considers one of its provinces has upset the Chinese government. It was seen as “a serious violation” of American commitments to China, which “seriously undermines regional peace and stability”.
So much so that 21 Chinese military planes are said to have “entered the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone, wider than airspace) of southwestern Taiwan on August 2, 2022”, announced on Twitter the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense.
Minister Anand refrained from saying whether the Canadian government had information on Beijing’s intentions with regard to Taiwan or whether any trips by Canadian ministers to the island could be compromised due to this escalation of tensions.
“Canada continues to enjoy strong and growing trade and people-to-people ties with Taiwan. And we are determined to deepen these ties based on common values and a vast diaspora,” she said.
“And we will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in multilateral forums,” she added.
Nancy Pelosi is the first such high-ranking elected official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China said it considered his presence a “provocation”. Unsurprisingly, Russia added its voice to that of Beijing, accusing Washington of “destabilizing the world” with this visit.
The Russian offensive in Ukraine has heightened fears that China will follow through on its threats to annex Taiwan.
With Agence France-Presse