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Taiwan's foreign ministry thanks the United States for taking 'concrete actions' in the Taiwan Strait

The US says it will announce a roadmap for trade negotiations with Taiwan in the coming days. (Reuters: Jameson Wu, file)

Taiwan's foreign ministry has expressed its "sincere gratitude" to the United States for taking "concrete actions" to maintain security and peace in the Taiwan Strait and the region.

The statement came in response to comments from US Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell, who said on Friday that China "overreacted" to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

The foreign ministry statement said that China's "unprovoked military and economy intimidation" had "further strengthened the unity and resilience of the global democratic camp".

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday that China's threat of force was undiminished, even though Beijing's largest-ever military drills around the island following Ms Pelosi's visit last week seemed to be scaling down.

Earlier, Mr Campbell said China used Ms Pelosi's visit as a pretext to try to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

The American response would be patient and effective, and the US presence and posture in the region would account for China's more destabilising behaviour, Campbell told reporters in a call.

"China has overreacted and its actions continue to be provocative, destabilising and unprecedented," Mr Campbell said, calling it part of an "intensified pressure campaign" against Taiwan.

China expands trade sanctions on Taiwanese fish
"It has not ended and we expect it to continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months," Mr Campbell said, adding that several Chinese warships remained around Taiwan, a self-governed island.

Mr Campbell reiterated that the US would conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks, and that it would announce an "ambitious road map" for trade negotiations with Taiwan in the coming days.

"And we will ensure that our presence, posture and exercise account for China's more provocative and destabilising behaviour, with a view towards guiding the situation in the western Pacific towards greater stability," he said.

ABC/wires

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