Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Congress of the United States The highest-level American visit in 25 years was denounced by China as a t...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Congress of the United States The highest-level American visit in 25 years was denounced by China as a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late on Tuesday. She claimed the trip demonstrated an unbroken American commitment to the Chinese-claimed, self-ruled island.
After a nighttime landing on a flight from Malaysia, Pelosi and the rest of her team descended from a U.S. Air Force cargo plane at Songshan Airport in the centre of Taipei to start a visit that could bring U.S.-Chinese ties to a new low. Joseph Wu, the foreign minister of Taiwan, and Sandra Oudkirk, the top American diplomat in Taiwan, welcomed them.
At a time when international tensions are already high due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, her appearance sparked an angry response from China. China has never abandoned using force to annex Taiwan and views it as a part of its territory. China was forewarned by the United States not to use the visit as justification for military action against Taiwan.
Pelosi released a statement shortly after arrival that read, "Our congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan celebrates America's unshakable commitment to supporting Taiwan's dynamic democracy." The United States' support for Taiwan's 23 million citizens is more crucial than ever as the globe struggles to decide between despotism and democracy.
Pelosi, who is second in line to become president of the United States, has long criticised China.
Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, will have lunch with Pelosi on Wednesday after their meeting, according to the presidential office. Pelosi made history as the most senior American politician to visit Taiwan since 1997, travelling with six other politicians from the United States.
The visit of Pelosi "has a catastrophic impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and significantly infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," according to China's foreign ministry, which said it registered a strong protest with the United States.
Before she arrived, Chinese warplanes flew across the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. According to the defence ministry, the Chinese military has been placed on high alert and will conduct "targeted military activities" in response to Pelosi's arrival.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported live-fire drills and other exercises outside Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday. The Chinese military planned joint air and sea manoeuvres near Taiwan commencing on Tuesday night and conventional missile test launches in the waters east of Taiwan.
Pelosi is travelling around Asia, and stops on her itinerary include Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan. Though unexpected, her trip to Taiwan was eagerly awaited.
After arriving, Pelosi wrote an editorial article for the Washington Post in which she described her trip, praising Taiwan's dedication to democracy and criticising China for having sharply raised tensions with Taiwan in recent years.
Pelosi stated, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, "We cannot stand by as the CCP continues to endanger Taiwan - and democracy itself."
Pelosi also brought up China's "brutal assault" on political dissent in Hong Kong as well as how it treats Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities, both of which the US has labelled as genocide.
Numerous fans cheered and ran toward the black trucks with their arms outstretched and phone cameras on as Pelosi's convoy, which was being followed by police cars with flashing red and blue lights, approached her hotel. The motorcade entered the hotel's parking area without stopping.
Tuesday night, signs such as "Welcome to Taiwan," "Speaker Pelosi," and "Taiwan (love) USA" lighted up on Taiwan's tallest structure, Taipei 101.
The White House responds
After Pelosi arrived, John Kirby, the White House's national security spokesperson, declared that the United States "is not going to be scared" by China's threats or bellicose rhetoric and that there is no reason her visit should spark a crisis or conflict.
At a subsequent White House briefing, Kirby stated that the United States "would not engage in sabre-rattling" and added, "We will continue to support Taiwan, defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and strive to maintain contact with Beijing."
China may exert "economic coercion" against Taiwan, according to Kirby, who also added that how this will affect US-China ties will depend on what Beijing does in the ensuing days and weeks.
As a fellow Democratic Party member and close associate of U.S. President Joe Biden, Pelosi, 82, has assisted in advancing his legislative agenda in Congress.
Pelosi is also expected to meet activists vocal about China's human rights record on Wednesday, according to four sources.
Despite the fact that the United States does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, American law obliges it to give Taiwan the tools to defend itself. U.S. officials visiting Taiwan are seen as a positive indication by China for the island's pro-independence movement. China's claims of sovereignty are rejected by Taiwan, which maintains that only the residents of the island can determine its future.
On Tuesday morning, several Chinese aeroplanes flew along the line dividing the Taiwan Strait before departing later in the day, a source told Reuters. Since Monday, a number of Chinese vessels have also travelled close to the line of demarcation and have remained there, according to the source.
Taiwan's defence ministry reported on Tuesday that 21 Chinese aircraft had flown into its air defence identification zone and that China had been conducting manoeuvres around the island in an effort to put Taiwan's major ports and cities under threat. The readiness level of Taiwan's military forces has "been enhanced," it continued.
According to Taylor Fravel, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology expert on China's military, China's next drills could be more extensive than those conducted during the 1995 and 1996 Taiwan Strait conflict.
"Military drills and missile tests will be conducted to Taiwan's north, south, east, and west. It's never happened before, "said Fravel.
The USS Ronald Reagan was one of four American warships stationed in the waters east of Taiwan on routine deployments, according to the US Navy.
Russia, which is at odds with the West over its invasion of Ukraine, denounced Pelosi's trip. America is "a state provocateur," according to Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry.
