KARACHI:
The recent confrontation between the US and China over the long-running issue of Taiwan is a burning issue of global concern. The two-hour-long telephone conversation between Presidents Joe Biden of the US and Xi Jinping of China has yielded no results. Instead, the provocative rhetoric by both leaders — followed by the announcement about the forthcoming visit of the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruling island — has worsened the situation further.
Beijing sticks to its long-held stance that Taiwan is an integral part of China. The Chinese leadership has warned of unintended consequences in case of any intervention by the US. The leadership has warned that those who “play with fire” will get burned. Such incendiary statements do not auger well for the people of the planet who are already suffering from an unprecedented economic crisis as a result of the continuing Russia-Ukraine war. Another such conflict would definitely lead to disastrous repercussions for the people at large as its spillover effects would spread rapidly across the globe.
It is high time Washington and Beijing adopted a more plausible and preventive approach to deal with the situation in a timely manner in order to avoid any escalation.
Muhammad Aftab Ahmad
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2022.
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