White House Reportedly Summons Chinese Ambassador Amid Taiwan Tensions

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US White House on Friday summoned the Chinese ambassador in the United States, Qin Gang, to protest Beijing's "escalating actions" near Taiwan, Washington Post reported, citing spokesman John Kirby.

"After China’s actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to démarche him about the PRC’s provocative actions," Kirby said in a statement, published by the newspaper.

This comes after earlier this week, China started its four days of military drills in six locations around Taiwan after the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island on August 2. Her visit has resulted in escalation of tensions between Beijing and Washington since China views Taiwan, which has been governed independently since 1949, as part of its territory which some day will be reunited with the mainland.