North Korea on Saturday accused the Biden administration of raising military tensions with China through its 'reckless' backing of Taiwan, and said that the growing U.S. military presence in the region constitutes a potential threat to the North.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA -- North Korea on Saturday accused the Biden administration of raising military tensions with China through its "reckless" backing of Taiwan, and said that the growing U.S. military presence in the region constitutes a potential threat to the North.
Pak's statement came a day after President Joe Biden told a CNN townhall event that the United States was committed to coming to Taiwan's defense if it comes under attack from China. While that seemed to blur Washington's long-held stance of maintaining "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene if China were to attack Taiwan, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden had no intent to convey a change in policy.
"It is a well-known fact that the U.S. troops and its military bases in are in use to put pressure on China and that the huge forces of the U.S. and its satellite states, which are being concentrated near Taiwan, can be committed to a military operation targeting the DPRK at any time," Pak said, using an abbreviation of the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over the issue of relaxing crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea in return for steps by the North to wind down its nuclear weapons program.