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No Sign Of Chinese Buildup Ahead Of Potential Pelosi Trip To Taiwan: White House

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The White House on Friday said it sees no sign of increased military activity by China ahead of a potential trip there by a top US politician, despite Beijing warning Washington against playing “with fire.”

“We’ve seen no physical, tangible indications of anything untoward with respect to Taiwan,” John Kirby, spokesman for President Joe Biden’s National Security Council, told reporters.

Kirby declined to confirm or deny reports that House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is going ahead with a stop in Taiwan during a tour of Asia. Pelosi has also not commented publicly on the widely reported plan.

Beijing is angrily responding to what it says is a provocation, given its claim to sovereignty over the self-ruling democratic island.

In a phone call Thursday, President Xi Jinping told Biden that “those who play with fire will eventually get burned.”

Although US officials often make discreet visits to Taiwan, Pelosi is second in line to the presidency and she will be using military transport during her visit to Asia.

Kirby reiterated that regardless of Pelosi’s plans there was no change to the US policy of acknowledging Beijing’s legal sovereignty over Taiwan.

“We’ve seen some bellicose rhetoric coming out of the Chinese side, based on reports of a potential trip by Speaker Pelosi,” he said. “There’s no need for that kind of rhetoric.”

Kirby said the Biden-Xi call was “frank, forthright,” reflecting the “consequential, important relationship” between the world’s two biggest economies and growing geopolitical rivals.

“The president believes it’s really important to keep open lines of communication,” Kirby said.

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AFP

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.







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