China has rejected status quo on Taiwan, speeding up reunification: Blinken

The long-standing status quo on Taiwan has been rejected by China, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also reiterated the belief that Beijing is moving more quickly to annex the island.

His comments come after Taiwan projected increased pressure on the diplomatic front and Chinese President Xi Jinping won an unprecedented third term.

According to Blinken, the four-decade status quo, in which the US only recognises Beijing while providing the island with arms for self-defence, has "helped to make sure there wouldn't be a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"What's changed is this -- a decision by the government in Beijing that that status quo was no longer acceptable, that they wanted to speed up the process by which they would pursue reunification," Blinken told an event at Bloomberg News.

China has decided on "coercion and making life difficult in a variety of ways on Taiwan in the hopes that that would speed reunification, but also holding out the possibility, if that didn't work, of using force to achieve their goals," Blinken said.

Also Read:Western officials finalising plans to impose cap on Russian oil prices

Blinken, who recently made a similar assessment at Stanford University, cited Beijing's deployment of soldiers and significant military exercises in August in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The top US official claimed that the current situation has also aided Taiwan's development, which has made it the leading worldwide producer of innovative semiconductors used in consumer electronics, appliances, and automobiles.

(with inputs from agencies)