N Korea slams US for supporting Taiwan in nod to ally China

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has accused the Biden administration of raising military tensions with Pyongyang’s closest ally China through its support of Taiwan. An official quoted by state media said the U.S. has engaged in “reckless” backing of Taiwan, a self-ruled island China claims as part of its territory. He says a growing U.S. military presence in the region constitutes a potential threat to the North. The comments by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho came a day after President Joe Biden told a CNN townhall event that Washington was committed to defending Taiwan if it came under Chinese attack. North Korea has increasingly criticized the broader U.S. security role in the Indo-Pacific that has sharpened the competition with China, Pyongyang’s chief political and economic backer.