The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, on a visit that raised tensions between the White House and China, which sees the island as its own and promised “selective military action” in retaliation.
The plane that transported Pelosi and her delegation from Malaysia landed in Taiwanas part of his tour of Asia, in a fact that was described as “extremely dangerous” by the Asian giant in its first reaction.
Television footage showed the 82-year-old legislator upon her arrival at Songshan Airport, where she was greeted by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
The visit shows the “unconditional support” of the United States to the island, Although “it does not contradict” Washington’s policy towards China, said a statement from the cabinet of Pelosi, who belongs to President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party and is second in line for presidential succession.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted that the United States “will pay the price” for this visit
The trip was off its public itinerary until the last moment, which generated uncertainty about whether it was really going to take place and put the Chinese and Taiwanese Armies on alert, which increased their combat preparation throughout the day.
Taiwan noted 21 Chinese incursions into its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area larger than the airspace of a country that in the case of Taiwan partially overlaps that of China.
Chinawhich regards Taiwan as a rogue province, announced shortly before that its fighter planes had crossed the Taiwan Strait and promised “selective military action” in retaliation.
Meanwhile, several US warships plied the waters of the region, including aircraft carriers with state-of-the-art F-35 combat units.
The Pentagon affirmed that this military presence is not related to the transfer of Pelosi, in what is the first visit of a head of the House of Representatives in 25 years, in a trip that occurs at a rocky moment in relations between States. United and China.
Hours before landing the Chinese foreign ministry insisted that the United States “will pay the price” for this visit.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and Pelosi’s trip to the island is seen as a provocation by the Biden government, who last week was warned by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the United States “plays with fire.” .
“The United States will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China’s sovereignty and security,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing.
Hours later, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng announced that the US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, had been “urgently” summoned over the case, which he called a “serious provocation” and a “violation of the one-China principle.” , according to the official Chinese press.
The Chinese government received the backing of Russia and Iran.
Moscow accused the United States of “destabilizing the world” and provoking conflictsafter having blamed Washington for its decision to invade Ukraine for trying to incorporate it into NATO.
“Washington destabilizes the world, not a single conflict resolved in recent decades, but several provoked,” said Maria Zajarova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.in the Telegram messaging application, according to the AFP news agency.
WhileTehran “considers respect for the territorial integrity of countries as one of the foundations of its foreign policy and supports the one China policy; the framework is unequivocal”said the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Naser Kanani, at a press conference.
Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/2sSRJXN6ST
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 2, 2022
Nevertheless, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby He said that Pelosi “has the right” to make the visit and accused China of “provocations”.
“There is no reason for Beijing to turn a possible visit, consistent with long-standing US policy, into some kind of crisis.”he added.
Kirby cited intelligence reports that China would prepare “potential military provocations” that could include firing missiles into the Taiwan Strait or “large-scale” incursions into Taiwanese airspace.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the territory is “determined, capable and confident” that it will be able to protect the island from China’s growing threats.
“We are meticulously preparing various plans and adequate troops will be deployed to respond, adhering to emergency response rules, to threats from the enemy,” the Taiwanese ministry said. it’s a statement.
Kirby recalled that Pelosi was traveling on a military plane and that while Washington did not fear a direct attack, it does “raise the risks of a miscalculation.”
He also reiterated that US policy did not change with respect to Taiwan.
This implies support for Taiwanese self-government while recognizing China above Taiwan and opposing a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan or a forced takeover by China.
On Monday, China’s ambassador to the UN, Zhang Hun, called Pelosi’s visit “very dangerous, very provocative,” speaking to reporters.
“If the United States insists on paying the visit (to Taiwan), China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”he claimed.
The Chinese military released a martial-colored video online on Monday showing soldiers shouting that they are ready to fight, fighters taking off, paratroopers jumping out of a plane or a hail of missiles destroying multiple targets.
Before arriving in Taiwan, Pelosi met in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, with the speaker of the House of Representatives and the prime minister, the state news agency Bernama reported.
After Singapore, Malaysia and now Taiwan, the itinerary of the second in the line of US presidential succession includes stops in South Korea and Japan.
