The leader of the American congressmen, Nancy Pelosi, landed in Taiwan on Tuesday, despite warnings from China which regards the visit as a serious provocation risking to inflame already tense Sino-American relations. Live television footage showed Nancy Pelosi, 82, being greeted upon arrival by Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister. She arrived at Songshan Airport on a US military plane.
US “unconditional support” for Taiwan
Nancy Pelosi said her visit to Taiwan demonstrated the “unconditional support” of the United States, in a statement released shortly after landing on the island. “Our parliamentary delegation’s visit to Taiwan demonstrates America’s unconditional support for Taiwan’s vibrant democracy,” she said in the statement, adding that the visit did not “in any way” violate policy. of the United States vis-à-vis China.
Taiwan welcomes Pelosi’s visit
The visit to Taiwan by the speaker of the House of Representatives shows the “unshakable” support of Washington, estimated early Wednesday the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shortly after the arrival of the American leader. “We believe that President Pelosi’s visit… will strengthen the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the United States, and further deepen the overall cooperation between the two sides in all fields,” the official said. ministry.
China denounces the “extremely dangerous” attitude of the United States
China denounced the “extremely dangerous” attitude of the United States, shortly after the arrival of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan, territory that Beijing considers to be one of its provinces.
“The United States (…) is trying to use Taiwan to contain China,” said the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement, adding that Washington “continues to distort, obscure and empty sense the one-China principle, to step up official exchanges with Taiwan, and to encourage Taiwan’s ‘independence’ separatist activities. These actions, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.”
‘Targeted military actions’ in response to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
China has announced that the military will launch “targeted military actions” in response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The army operation aims to “resolutely uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly thwart outside interference and separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan independence'”, said Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
According to local authorities, more than 20 Chinese military aircraft entered the Taiwanese air defense identification zone.
The Americans “destabilize the world”, accuses Russia
Russia, a major ally of China, on Tuesday accused the Americans of “destabilizing the world” and described Nancy Pelosi’s visit as “pure provocation”. Just before Nancy Pelosi’s arrival, Chinese public television CGTN announced that Su-35 fighter jets were “crossing the Taiwan Strait” separating mainland China from the island, without further details. In a press release, the Taiwanese army denied any crossing of the strait by Su-35s.
Most observers rate the likelihood of armed conflict as low. But US officials have said they are preparing for shows of force from the Chinese military, such as missile launches in the Taiwan Strait or aerial incursions around the island.
Several American ships cruise in the Taiwan region
Several American ships were cruising in the Taiwan region on Tuesday as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the island than Beijing, according to American military sources.
While China announced that its military would launch “targeted military actions” in response to the visit, the US 7th Fleet tweeted on Tuesday that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which has been cruising in the region since early July , was in the Philippine Sea, south of Taiwan. The US Navy released images of the Ronald Reagan performing maneuvers with the supply ship USS Carl Brashear on Sunday.
Meeting with the Taiwanese president on Wednesday
According to the Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times, who cites anonymous sources, the American leader will meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, a pet peeve of Beijing because she comes from an independence party. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said it was “determined” to protect the island against any attack. “The likelihood of war or a serious incident is low,” tweeted Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the American think tank German Marshall Fund. “But the likelihood that (China) will take a series of military, economic and diplomatic measures…is not negligible,” she added.
Taiwanese agriculture authorities said on Tuesday that Beijing had suspended the import of certain Taiwanese goods, such as fish products, tea and honey. Last week, the Taiwanese military conducted its most important annual military exercises. For its part, China has been organizing multiple military maneuvers “with live ammunition” at sea in recent days, generally very close to the Chinese coast.