China's actions to "intimidate and coerce" Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei are fundamentally at odds with the goal of peace and stability, the White House has said, asserting that the US would take "calm and resolute" steps to support the self-ruled island.
China's ruling Communist party has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. Beijing insists its “one-China principle” would bar most incumbent foreign government officials from setting foot on the island.
The People's Liberation Army announced war games in the busy Taiwan Strait from August 4 to 7, the day after Pelosi, who is the highest-ranking US leader to have visited Taiwan in 25 years, left Taipei after high-level meetings.
Later, the Chinese military extended the war games, surrounding Taiwan, which Beijing views as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.
China on Wednesday warned that Beijing will organise regular combat patrols as a new normal to enforce its one-China policy.
"China's actions are fundamentally at odds with the goal of peace and stability. They are part of an intensified pressure campaign against Taiwan, which has not ended, and we expect it to continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months," Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo Pacific, told reporters during a conference call.
"The goal of this campaign is clear — to intimidate and coerce Taiwan and undermine its resilience," he said.
The US, he said, will "continue to take calm and resolute steps to uphold peace and stability in the face of Beijing's ongoing efforts to undermine it," and to support Taiwan, in line with its longstanding policy.