As US-China talks resume, the Chinese government increases military pressure on Taiwan

The increased military pressure comes as the United States and China try to get relations back on track after several icy years. For example, in their meeting, Sullivan and Wang confirmed plans to launch a U.S.-China cooperative “counter-drug task force” on Tuesday to address the fentanyl crisis.

“Mr. Sullivan emphasized in the meeting that while the United States and China are competitive, the United States does not seek conflict or confrontation and that there are areas for cooperation in the relationship,” a senior administration official said on Saturday.

But China’s military moves over the past 24 hours could complicate hopes for cooperation.

China’s approach to Taiwan, which it considers its own territory, has become a sensitive stalemate in its volatile relationship with the United States, which believes Taiwan will maintain its autonomy. The controversial issue comes up in nearly every U.S.-China meeting, including a high-profile meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November.

During two days of talks in Bangkok on Thursday and Friday, Sullivan and Wang discussed restoring communications between the military, curbing the flow of fentanyl and mitigating the risks of artificial intelligence.

Mr. Sullivan also reiterated the United States’ position on maintaining the status quo of Taiwan’s sovereignty. However, China has repeatedly rejected the U.S. position and has vocally asserted its intention to “unify” Taiwan and the mainland.

China’s military pressure on Taiwan comes during what senior government officials are calling a “period of heightened tensions.”

Taiwanese voters recently elected Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-de as the next president. Lai was the least popular candidate in China because of his support for maintaining the status quo in Taiwan.

Ahead of that election, the United States braced for mixed reactions from China.

“Anytime we head into a period of heightened tensions, of course there are always contingency conversations within the U.S. government,” a senior administration official said at the time.

“I don’t want to go into details about those, but of course we have to be prepared and consider all contingencies from no response to the high end.”