U.S. Secretary of State Blinken cautions China against changing status quo on Taiwan

Over the last few years, China has been trying to build military and economic pressure on Taiwan, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has cautioned China against changing the status quo on Taiwan which is vital to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Over the last few years, China has been trying to build military and economic pressure on Taiwan, Mr. Blinken said during a conversation with University of Chicago's Institute of Politics Founding Director David Axelrod on Friday.

"On Taiwan, what we have seen over the last few years is, I think, China made a decision that it was no longer comfortable with the status quo, a status quo that had prevailed for decades, that had actually been successful in terms of the relationship between our countries and managing what is a difficult situation," the Secretary of State said.

"We have seen them, over the last few years... ratchet up the pressure on Taiwan, military pressure, economic pressure, trying to cut off its ties to countries around the world, to international organisations," he said.

From America's perspective, that status quo has worked and it is vital to what is important to the U.S., which is maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he added.

Fifty per cent of container ships moving around the world every day go through the Taiwan Strait, 70% or more of the computer chips manufactured in the world at the higher ends are manufactured in Taiwan. If this gets disrupted, the entire world economy will suffer, Mr. Blinken said.

"Every country in the world has an interest in making sure that peace and stability remain in the strait and that differences are resolved peacefully, not through pressure, not through coercion, and certainly not through the use of force," he said in response to a question.