Taiwan Hails Visit of ‘Loyal Friend’ Ex-Pentagon Chief Mark Esper at Head of Atlantic Council Troika
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Taiwan Hails Visit of ‘Loyal Friend’ Ex-Pentagon Chief Mark Esper at Head of Atlantic Council Troika
Taiwan Hails Visit of ‘Loyal Friend’ Ex-Pentagon Chief Mark Esper at Head of Atlantic Council Troika
Former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arrived in Taipei on Monday for a four-day visit at the head of a three-member delegation sent by the Atlantic… 18.07.2022, Sputnik International
2022-07-18T19:39+0000
2022-07-18T19:39+0000
2022-07-18T19:39+0000
mark esper
taiwan
us pentagon
u.s. secretary of defense
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The government in Taiwan hailed Esper, who ran the Pentagon under former US President Donald Trump and was a vice president of defense contractor Raytheon, as a “loyal friend” of the autonomous island in a statement announcing the visit.He is traveling with Barry Pavel, the senior vice president and director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, and Stefano Stefanini, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former permanent representative of Italy to NATO.Since Russia launched its special operation in Ukraine in February, American and Taiwanese officials have depicted the autonomous island as being under increased threat, claiming Beijing is planning its own operation to reunite the island with the mainland. Esper’s visit was framed by Taipei as helping to “deepen” its relationship with the US and Europe in an effort to mitigate against that threat.Speaking to Fox News in May, Esper claimed that China has “always been looking seriously at taking over Taiwan and I think they’re studying the Russian successes and failures and trying to figure out how they could do better.”The government in Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China, is all that remains of the republican government that ruled all of China from the abdication of the last Chinese emperor in 1912 until the communist victory in the civil war in 1949, when the Red Army established control over the entire mainland and founded the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. All but a handful of nations have switched their recognition of the legitimate Chinese government from Taipei to Beijing in the decades since, including the US in 1979. Nonetheless, Washington continues to informally support Taiwan’s ability to maintain autonomy from Beijing by funneling them weapons and giving them political cover on the international stage.The Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the latest such move by the US on Monday: a proposed $108 million contract for technical assistance in support of Taiwan’s military modernization efforts, which the US State Department advanced on Friday. Congress must still approve the deal before it becomes official.MFA spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters that such weapons sales “seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués” that outlined how Washington would end its support for Taiwan.Esper’s visit is just the latest in a series of high-profile American visits to Taiwan that have infuriated the Chinese government, which sees the visits as a violation of Chinese sovereignty and US intervention in Chinese internal affairs. Others have included Esper’s former Trump administration colleague, Mike Pompeo, and several other leading US defense officials. A planned April visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the third-highest ranking politician in the US after the president and vice president, was canceled after the senior lawmaker contracted COVID-19.
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mark esper, taiwan, us pentagon, u.s. secretary of defense
Former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arrived in Taipei on Monday for a four-day visit at the head of a three-member delegation sent by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank with major influence over US foreign policy.
The government in Taiwan hailed Esper, who ran the Pentagon under former US President Donald Trump and was a vice president of defense contractor Raytheon, as a “loyal friend” of the autonomous island in a
the visit.
He is traveling with Barry Pavel, the senior vice president and director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, and Stefano Stefanini, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former permanent representative of Italy to NATO.
“The delegation will visit senior government officials and relevant departments, and will have exchanges with think tanks and business leaders here to learn about the latest developments,” the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry statement said. They will meet with high-ranking Taiwanese officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen, whose political faction favors declaring independence from China.
Since Russia launched its special operation in Ukraine in February, American and Taiwanese officials have depicted the autonomous island as being
, claiming Beijing is planning its own operation to reunite the island with the mainland. Esper’s visit was framed by Taipei as helping to “deepen” its relationship with the US and Europe in an effort to mitigate against that threat.
Speaking to
, Esper claimed that China has “always been looking seriously at taking over Taiwan and I think they’re studying the Russian successes and failures and trying to figure out how they could do better.”
“I regard China as our number one strategic adversary in this century, and we need to prepare for that and I don’t think we are doing so sufficiently now,” he added.
The government in Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China, is all that remains of the republican government that ruled all of China from the abdication of the last Chinese emperor in 1912 until the communist victory in the civil war in 1949, when the Red Army established control over the entire mainland and founded the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.
All but a handful of nations have switched their recognition of the legitimate Chinese government from Taipei to Beijing in the decades since, including the US in 1979. Nonetheless, Washington continues to informally support Taiwan’s ability to maintain autonomy from Beijing by funneling them weapons and giving them political cover on the international stage.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the latest such move by the US on Monday: a
proposed $108 million contract
for technical assistance in support of Taiwan’s military modernization efforts, which the US State Department advanced on Friday. Congress must still approve the deal before it becomes official.
MFA spokesperson
that such weapons sales “seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués” that outlined how Washington would end its support for Taiwan.
“We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, revoke the above-mentioned arms sales plan, stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan and stop creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Wang added. “China will continue to take resolute and strong measures to firmly defend its sovereignty and security interests.”
Esper’s visit is just the latest in a series of high-profile American visits to Taiwan that have infuriated the Chinese government, which sees the visits as a violation of Chinese sovereignty and US intervention in Chinese internal affairs. Others have included Esper’s former Trump administration colleague,
, and several other
. A
by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the third-highest ranking politician in the US after the president and vice president, was canceled after the senior lawmaker contracted COVID-19.
