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

Concern swirls that William Lai Ching-te’s remarks at annual celebration could prompt Beijing to justify taking cross-strait military action

Reading Time:3 minutes

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te waves during his inauguration ceremony in Taipei on May 20. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 4:35am, 10 Oct 2024Updated: 9:24am, 10 Oct 2024

The US urged “restraint” from both sides of the Taiwan Strait amid speculation over mainland China’s military response to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s upcoming speech to mark the self-governing island’s Double Tenth Day.

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.

Xi Jinping sends warning to ‘Taiwan separatists’, stresses support for Hong Kong and Macau

Lai, who was inaugurated in May after winning election earlier this year, will deliver his first speech on Thursday celebrating the Double Tenth Day, which marks the founding of the Republic of China.