- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged US support for Taiwan in the face of China threats.
- At a joint press conference with President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Wednesday, the US leader said the US will “always stand by Taiwan’s side.”
- US leader Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has heightened tensions around Taiwan. China threatens countermeasures.
Referring to Beijing’s communist leadership’s threats against Taiwan, Pelosi said, “More than ever, American solidarity is crucial.” The visit of the congress delegation to Taiwan shows “that we will not give up our commitments to Taiwan”. That is the message of the visit of their congress delegation.
US support for Taiwan is bipartisan. “Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” Pelosi said, praising Taiwan as “one of the freest societies in the world.”
Ukraine war has drawn attention to Taiwan
Taiwan’s president said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drew international attention to the conflict with China over Taiwan. The situation in the Taiwan Strait has implications for security in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Taiwan will not back down,” Tsai said, referring to the threat from China. “We will do whatever is necessary to strengthen our self-defense capabilities.
Beijing’s threats
Despite all threats from Beijing, Pelosi had arrived in the democratic island republic the day before for the highest-ranking visit from the USA in a quarter of a century.
Beijing sees Taiwan only as part of the People’s Republic, strictly rejects official contacts from other countries to Taipei and had vehemently warned the USA against Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. China’s neighbor Japan, like its protecting power the United States, has long been concerned about Beijing’s increasing bid for power in the region.
military maneuvers in response
In response, China’s People’s Liberation Army immediately launched maneuvers in six sea areas surrounding Taiwan. There should also be “extensive shooting exercises” by Sunday.
The maneuvers are considered the greatest military muscle flexing since the 1995 missile crisis, when China fired missiles over Taiwan to intimidate it and the United States sent two aircraft carrier groups. The sea areas for the exercises go well beyond the restricted zones at the time, reach close to Taiwan and sometimes appear to be encroaching on its sovereign territories. Experts also expect that shipping routes could be affected.
The maneuvers are also causing concern in Japan. The area near Taiwan, where China is planning maneuvers from Thursday, overlaps with Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan’s government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday, according to the Kyodo news agency. Concerns have been communicated to Beijing. Japan is a key US ally.