China on Thursday blasted the presence of American soldiers in Taiwan after its official confirmation by the president of the island during an interview with the CNN channel. “We strongly oppose any form of official exchanges and military contacts between the United States and TaiwanChinese diplomacy spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters. Beijing considers Taiwan to be one of its provinces although it does not control the island of 23 million people. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said the Chinese threat to the territory was growing “each day».
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Asked about the presence of American soldiers on the island, Tsai replied that they are “not as many as people think“. It is the first time that a Taiwanese leader publicly recognizes such a presence since the departure of the last American garrison in 1979, when Washington recognized Communist China to the detriment of Taiwan. The passes of arms have multiplied in recent days between China and the United States over the fate of the island, which enjoys a democratic system and has a government, a currency and an army clean.
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However, the territory did not proclaim formal independence. Beijing threatens to use force if it does. Asked about the possibility of US military intervention to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, President Joe Biden replied in the affirmative: “Yes, we have a commitment to thisHe said last week. Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised him a “reunification“Inevitable with Taiwan by means”peaceful», While the island reported in early October a record number of military aircraft incursions from Beijing into its aerial identification zone.
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