Daily Times

As the United States and China engage in a war of words over Chinese Taipei, China is set to end cooperation with the United States on a number of important issues, including climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military dialogue.

China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that, among other things, it is suspending cooperation with the US on cross-border crime prevention and repatriation of illegal migrants.

The strong rebuke follows US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s widely panned visit to self-ruled Taiwan, despite China’s increasing warnings.

China canceled a planned bilateral meeting on a maritime military security mechanism shortly after Pelosi left Japan on the final leg of her Asian tour.

Meanwhile, Beijing has announced that it will sanction Pelosi and her immediate family personally in response to her “vicious” and “provocative” actions.

The visit, according to the Foreign Ministry, is “seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs and seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Pelosi’s brief visit this week enraged Beijing and triggered unprecedented Chinese military drills in the seas and air around the island, prompting condemnation from the US and other Western allies.

In this regard, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China’s military drills a “significant escalation,” emphasizing that such exercises had “no justification.”

The drills involved a “conventional missile firepower assault” in waters east of Taiwan, according to the Chinese military, with Beijing emphasizing on Friday that the exercises will continue until midday Sunday.

During the drills, the Chinese army “flew more than 100 warplanes, including fighters and bombers,” as well as “over ten destroyers and frigates,” according to Beijing’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, Pelosi defended her trip to Taiwan and reacted angrily to Beijing’s recent drills, declaring that Washington would “not allow” China to isolate the island. The House Speaker, on the other hand, stated that her visit was not intended to change the island’s status quo.

Pelosi’s contentious and untimely visit has been condemned around the world, with countries such as Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea supporting the One China policy and condemning the violation of China’s territorial integrity.

Over the self-ruled island, relations between Washington and Beijing have reached a new low. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has already warned Washington not to play with fire, threatening to punish those who disregard Beijing’s warnings.