Taiwan’s top China policymaker on Wednesday said Chinese military threats would only drive the two sides further apart, as state media in the island’s giant neighbor warned of a strong response to a U.S. visit by Taiwan’s president.
China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has expressed anger at President Lai Ching-te’s weekend trip to Hawaii on his way to three countries in the Pacific that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.
Lai, who is also due to spend one night in the U.S. territory of Guam on Wednesday, is making what are formally only stopovers. However, he spent two days in Hawaii where he met the governor, gave speeches and visited a World War II memorial.
Security sources have told Reuters that China could stage new war games around Taiwan as early as this weekend in response to the trip.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Mainland Affairs Council minister Chiu…
