US urges restraint from mainland China and Taiwan ahead of island leader’s speech

The US urged “restraint” from both sides amid speculation over mainland China’s military response to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s coming speech on the occasion of the self-governed island’s founding.

A senior official of US President Joe Biden’s administration said Beijing could use Lai’s speech on Thursday as a “pretext” for taking military action in the Taiwan Strait.

“We see no justification for a routine annual celebration to be used in this manner,” the official said in a background call with the press on Wednesday.

“A cause of action like this against Taiwan and in the cross-strait context, in our view, undermines cross-strait peace and stability.

“We’ll be calling on both sides to aggregate restraint and consistent with long-standing norms,” the official added.

Lai, who was inaugurated in May after winning election earlier this year, will deliver his first speech on Thursday celebrating the founding of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name.