(Reuters) – The United States is using Taiwan to create a major crisis in Asia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told the TASS news agency in comments published on Sunday, stressing that Moscow supports China’s stance on Taiwan.
“We see that Washington, violating the principle of ‘one China’ that it recognizes, is strengthening military and political ties with Taipei under the slogan of maintaining the ‘status quo’, and increasing weapons,” Rudenko told state media. .
“The purpose of the apparent intervention of the US in regional affairs is to provoke the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and create a crisis in Asia to suit its selfish interests.”
The report did not identify the specific contacts Rudenko was talking about.
China considers democratic Taiwan its own country, a claim the Taiwanese government rejects. The US is Taiwan’s most important international donor and arms supplier, despite the lack of official diplomatic recognition.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rudenko’s remarks outside of business hours.
In September, President Joe Biden authorized $567 million in military support for Taiwan. Russia responded by saying it was standing by China on Asian issues, including criticizing the US drive to expand its influence and “deliberate efforts” to escalate the situation around Taiwan.
China and Russia declared “borderless” relations in February 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing shortly before launching an all-out invasion of Ukraine, starting Europe’s deadliest land war since World War II.
In May of this year, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping promised a “new era” of cooperation between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, posing as an aggressive Cold War hero sowing chaos around the world.
