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China on Thursday accused U.S. and Taiwanese officials of "playing with fire" after comparisons between the Ukraine-Russia war have been levied against Beijing and Taipei.
"There is a new wave of tensions across the Taiwan Strait," Chinese spokesman Wang Webin told reporters. "The root cause is that the authorities in Taiwan keep pushing the independence agenda by soliciting your support and that some in the U.S. attempt to use Taiwan to contain China.
"They have been colluding with each other," he added.
The spokesman’s comments come one day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration may be willing to slap sanctions on China should it consider invading Taiwan.
President Biden has repeatedly assured Beijing that the U.S. adheres to the one-China policy, but he has also warned its leadership against changing the status quo in the region by "reunifying" the island with mainland China.
Taipei and Beijing have shared a complex relationship since the government of the Republic of China (ROC) relocated to Taiwan in 1949 amid conflict with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Taiwan identifies as a sovereign nation, but it is officially recognized by China, the United Nations and the U.S. as part of the one-China policy.
In this Oct. 10, 2021, file photo, Taiwanese soldiers salute during National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei, Taiwan. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Lawmakers on the Hill have expressed concern that China could feel emboldened to move on Taiwan as the west looks to stop Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.
Nations like the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Japan and NATO members have hit Moscow with severe sanctions to counter its deadly assault on Kyiv – a move some in Congress have threatened to use against China if need be.
"I believe we’ve shown we can," Yellen said in answer to questions on whether the U.S. would use a similar sanction strategy employed against Russia to counter Chinese aggression towards Taiwan, first reported Bloomberg Wednesday. "I think you should not doubt our ability and resolve to do the same in other situations."
A person holding signs protesting Russia's military intervention of Ukraine outside the Russian representative office in Taipei, Taiwan, Feb. 26, 2022. (Walid Berrazeg/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Some lawmakers have also suggested that Beijing should be hit with sanctions now for refusing to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
But Yellen has rejected these calls arguing the administration does not believe China will try to support Moscow through military means or by evading sanctions.