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US will not dare encourage Taiwan’s integration with military-political blocs — expert

Andrey Kortunov said the US lawmakers’ visit should be seen as "a move in the geopolitical game with China and at the same time a demonstration of US security guarantees"

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. Washington will not dare encourage any process that might result in Taiwan’s integration with military-political blocs, because Beijing will interpret such a policy as the United States’ intentional departure from the One China principle and respond to such crossing of the "red line" in any adequate way, including military countermeasures, the general director of the Russian International Affairs Council, Andrey Kortunov, told TASS on Monday.

"Taiwan as an economy is already participating in various multilateral projects and will continue doing so, but the United States will not dare encourage Taiwan's integration into military-political blocs," the expert said about the aims of US congressmen's visit to Taiwan the day before.

Kortunov explained that should Washington try to act in this way, Beijing would instantly interpret this as a violation of the "One China" principle, which remains one of Beijing’s "red lines" not to be trespassed. Otherwise, the US administration will have to brace for "any response, including a military one." Nevertheless, the analyst expressed the certainty that a military solution of the conflict would be undesirable for Beijing.

Kortunov said the US lawmakers’ visit should be seen as "a move in the geopolitical game with China and at the same time a demonstration of US security guarantees."

"At the legislative level, the United States demonstrates that Taipei will not agree to do without these guarantees. Also, this is part of the internal political struggle: one should remember the mid-term congressional elections in the US due in a few months: every Congress member is keen to score political points. Based on this, the latest visit to Taiwan was not surprising," Kortunov continued. "On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that every next US step regarding Taiwan will annoy Beijing, thus leading to an escalation of US-China tensions."

Kortunov expects that economic ties between the US and Taiwan will be growing stronger and the process of migration will be facilitated. "The US will be inviting Taiwanese scientists, and the Taiwanese government will increase arms purchases," Kortunov summed up.

US politicians’ visits to Taiwan

A delegation of US lawmakers - five members of Congress from both parties - arrived in Taiwan on Sunday evening on an unannounced two-day visit. Their arrival on the island triggered strong criticism from Beijing and the beginning of another exercise by the People's Liberation Army of China in the region.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalated sharply after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei on August 2-3. The Chinese armed forces responded by conducting large-scale military drills with live rocket launches in six areas around the island.