<p class="title">The United States on Thursday urged China not to interfere in elections next month in Taiwan, where President Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, is seeking a new term.</p>.<p class="bodytext">David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for Asia, said that tensions have historically risen whenever Taiwan goes to the polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They should not," he said of the tensions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The concern always exists for somehow meddling -- interfering -- in internal affairs there."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Stilwell said that the United States, through its policy of providing arms to the self-ruling island while recognizing only Beijing, sought for differences between the two sides to be "resolved through dialogue and without violence or coercion or threats."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So that's our expectation for this upcoming event as well," he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tsai, who has emphasized Taiwan's separate identity and voiced solidarity with Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, on January 11 faces a challenger who favours warmer ties with Beijing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beijing sees Taiwan -- where China's defeated nationalists fled in 1949 -- as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The top US diplomat in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, last month also voiced "concerns" that China would try to influence the vote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beijing said that it's first domestically built aircraft carrier recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait, although it described the move as routine.</p>
<p class="title">The United States on Thursday urged China not to interfere in elections next month in Taiwan, where President Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, is seeking a new term.</p>.<p class="bodytext">David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for Asia, said that tensions have historically risen whenever Taiwan goes to the polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They should not," he said of the tensions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The concern always exists for somehow meddling -- interfering -- in internal affairs there."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Stilwell said that the United States, through its policy of providing arms to the self-ruling island while recognizing only Beijing, sought for differences between the two sides to be "resolved through dialogue and without violence or coercion or threats."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So that's our expectation for this upcoming event as well," he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tsai, who has emphasized Taiwan's separate identity and voiced solidarity with Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, on January 11 faces a challenger who favours warmer ties with Beijing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beijing sees Taiwan -- where China's defeated nationalists fled in 1949 -- as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The top US diplomat in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, last month also voiced "concerns" that China would try to influence the vote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beijing said that it's first domestically built aircraft carrier recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait, although it described the move as routine.</p>