WHITE HOUSE/TAIPEI — The White House announced a series of steps aimed to defend a “free and open Indo-Pacific” following Chinese firing of at least 11 ballistic missiles into waters encircling Taiwan on Thursday, a day after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up a visit to the island that enraged Beijing.
“China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council on Thursday.
Kirby told reporters U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the ships in her strike group to remain in the vicinity to “monitor the situation.” He said Washington will also conduct “standard air and maritime transits” through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks.
He promised “further steps” to demonstrate commitment to U.S. allies including Japan, which announced that five of the Chinese missiles landed within their exclusive economic zone.
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Tit-for-tat becomes difficult to appraise. Pelosi did what she did. Taiwan allowed her to do it. In response, China did what it did. Now, we are going to do “standard air and maritime transits in the next few weeks.” Could mean much. Could mean little. Much will happen between then and now. This is an uncertain or indeterminable state with many incalculable and unknowable factors. Looming over it is the potential for an invasion of Taiwan or, worse, WW3.
A major factor we do know is Xi Jinping has been locking down Chinese cities like crazy for many months. That is extremely weird and can be best explained by his knowing: 1) a Chinese economic crash is coming (seems it is) and/or 2) war is coming, either provoked by him or USA, either involving only Taiwan or USA and the entire world as well.
Another major factor we do know is USA provoked Russia through Ukraine in a very similar manner to how we are provoking China through Taiwan. Scroll down this page or peruse the war tag for more on this perspective. ABN
American Buddhist Net 