US Vice President Mike Pence is set to ramp up Washington's criticism of Beijing in a speech Thursday, accusing China of "reckless harassment" of US military forces in the South China Sea, and vowing to improve US relations with Taiwan.
Pence's speech, to be delivered at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, comes just days after a Chinese military vessel nearly collided with a US Navy ship in the waters around the disputed Spratly Islands on Sunday. "Beijing is also trying to project its power farther than ever before," Pence will say, according to excerpts of his speech seen by CNN. Pence will call attention to an incident on Sunday in which the US said a Chinese naval vessel came within 45 yards (41 meters) of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea.
Pence's speech, to be delivered at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, comes just days after a Chinese military vessel nearly collided with a US Navy ship in the waters around the disputed Spratly Islands on Sunday. "Beijing is also trying to project its power farther than ever before," Pence will say, according to excerpts of his speech seen by CNN. Pence will call attention to an incident on Sunday in which the US said a Chinese naval vessel came within 45 yards (41 meters) of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea.
