North Korea has criticized the United States for providing a weapons aid package to Taiwan, stating that it is driving tensions in the region towards the brink of war.
The United States revealed an aid package worth up to $345 million for Taiwan, and Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of weapons for the island as part of the 2023 budget.
In a statement released by the official KCNA news agency, Maeng Yong Rim, director general of the North Korean foreign ministry’s Chinese affairs department, condemned the plan as a dangerous political and military provocation and a flagrant violation of the One China principle.
“It is the sinister intention of the U.S. to turn Taiwan into an unsinkable advanced base against China and the first-line trench for carrying out its strategy for deterring China,” the statement said.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly warned against any official exchanges between the United States and Taipei. However, Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and asserts that only its own people can determine their future.
“The Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, is neither a theater of the U.S. military activity nor a test site of war,” the statement said, cautioning that the U.S. will face severe consequences for provoking China’s core interests.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently met with a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang, pledging to elevate the relationship between the two countries to new heights. Prior to the meeting, they reviewed North Korea’s latest nuclear-capable missiles and attack drones at a military parade.
China’s military has been demonstrating its strength near Taiwan, deploying numerous fighters, bombers, and drones into the skies to the south of the island, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry.
-Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi. Editing by Gerry Doyle
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
