Washington must not interfere in Beijing’s internal affairs, Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi warned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a phone call on Wednesday.
They were discussing the future of Sino-US relations, the situation in the Middle East, and Taiwan.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be an inalienable part of its territory under its One-China principle and reserves the right to use force should Taipei formally declare independence.
Wang reiterated this stance during the phone call and said the US must not interfere in China’s internal affairs nor encourage any “Taiwan independence” forces, according to China Central Television.
Last month, Chinese government spokesperson Chen Binhua addressed rhetoric coming from politicians in the territory, warning that “Taiwan independence means war.”
During a meeting with US President Joe Biden in California last month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Taiwan remains the most important and volatile issue in Sino-American relations.
He said Washington should stop arming Taipei and support the peaceful reunification of China, which he described as “unstoppable.”
The US has officially recognized China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. However, last year, Biden said Washington “would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.”
There was a sharp rise in tensions in the region when the Biden administration approved funding for the first-ever transfer of US military equipment to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing grant, which is usually reserved for sovereign nations.
The US government passed the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act last year, which allocates up to $2 billion annually in security assistance to Taipei from 2023 to 2027. The Act also allows for enhanced military training and collaboration with the US Armed Forces.
Taiwan has ordered more than $14 billion worth of US military equipment at present.