"US Only Gives Lip Service... Cannot Trust" China Angered by US Containment

China criticizes US Taiwan tech support decision as "exposing American hypocrisy"
US enters South China Sea twice in a week citing 'innocent passage'
Biden declares 'Week of Oppressive States' to check China and Russia... US-China tensions likely to continue for now

The US missile destroyer 'Samson' (DDG-102) passing through the Taiwan Strait last April. Photo by AP, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] China has strongly condemned the United States' decision to provide military technology support to Taiwan.

On the 15th (local time), the United States approved military technology support worth $108 million (approximately 140.4 billion KRW) to Taiwan.

In response, on the 17th, the Global Times, a sister publication of the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper People's Daily, pointed out, "This support reveals the double standards of the United States and shows that America's words cannot be trusted."

The newspaper stated, "The Taiwan issue has been repeatedly mentioned in several recent high-level US-China talks," adding, "There was a consensus to avoid escalating tensions, but this military support marks the fifth such instance under the Joe Biden administration."

Earlier, after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, the security chiefs of China and the United States met on the 9th in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss diplomatic matters and the Taiwan issue.

At that time, Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, handed the US four lists detailing △ mistakes in US policy and rhetoric toward China that need correction △ important issues of concern to China △ China-related legislation that China is worried about △ eight areas for bilateral cooperation.

Amid this, the US's promise of technological support to Taiwan has left China unable to hide its resentment.

The Global Times emphasized that this act occurred after active high-level US-China exchanges and criticized, "US arms sales to Taiwan and the intrusion of US naval vessels into Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea clearly reveal that the US only offers lip service to China."

In fact, the US has entered the South China Sea twice in the past week, aggravating China's sentiments. The South China Sea is surrounded by southern China, the Philippines, the Indochina Peninsula, and Borneo Island. Southeast Asian countries, including China, are disputing sovereignty over this area.

In 2020, the US aircraft carriers Ronald Reagan and Nimitz patrolling the South China Sea. Photo by AP, Yonhap News Agency

The US 7th Fleet announced on its website on the 16th that it conducted a "freedom of navigation" operation near the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Nansha; Vietnamese name: Truong Sa; Philippine name: Kalayaan) in the South China Sea. The operation involved the USS Benfold, a 6,900-ton US Navy destroyer.

The 7th Fleet explained that the operation "challenged the 'innocent passage' restrictions imposed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, reaffirming navigation rights and freedoms recognized under international law." Innocent passage refers to the navigation of a third country's vessel through coastal state waters without harming the coastal state's laws, peace, order, or security.

This operation followed a similar one on the 12th near the Paracel Islands (Chinese name: Xisha; Vietnamese name: Hoang Sa) in the South China Sea. Experts analyze that the US conducted military activities under the pretext of securing freedom of navigation in international waters guaranteed by international law, aiming to expand influence in the Indo-Pacific region while containing China.

China strongly opposed the first operation, labeling the US as a "security risk creator." It also released photos showing its navy closely monitoring the USS Benfold, expressing sharp reactions.

However, the US has once again "deliberately" dispatched a destroyer to the South China Sea and publicized the operation.

President Joe Biden of the United States. Photo by AP, Yonhap News

Previously, the US has continuously sought to contain China across various fields. Especially, it has pursued actions to contain both China and Russia and secure hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region. Following the security cooperation group QUAD, which includes Japan, India, and Australia, the US officially launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in June.

The US's pressure on China has intensified. On the 15th, President Biden declared the week of the 17th to the 23rd as "Captive Nations Week," reaffirming "the commitment to support and amplify the voices of courageous people worldwide striving to advance universal principles of freedom, democracy, justice, and the rule of law under oppression." He also urged democratic countries to unite to protect freedom and peace, noting that authoritarian countries such as China and Russia oppress the peoples of other nations.

Captive Nations Week is designated annually in the third week of July by the US to oppose authoritarian countries that subjugate neighboring nations and trample on the freedom and human rights of their peoples. The countries designated as "captive nations" by the US include China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and North Korea.

Amid widespread expectations that a video summit between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place later this month, predictions suggest that the US-China tensions will further escalate ahead of the meeting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.