Beijing baulks at ‘false signals’

BEIJING: China yesterday lambasted President Joe Biden’s expression of US commitment to defending Taiwan if the mainland mounts an attack on the democratic, self-ruled island.

“No one should underestimate the Chinese people’s strong determination, firm will and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

The US should “refrain from sending any false signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence in order not to seriously damage Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, Mr Wang added.