WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives said on Wednesday that the United States could not accept the pressure China would apply to Taiwan in recent days as a “new normal”.
“We saw that China was trying to impose a new normal. And we can’t let that happen,” Nancy Pelosi told a press conference.
Beijing has carried out large-scale military maneuvers, which have included the firing of ballistic missiles, some of which have flown over the Taiwanese capital Taipei, to protest against the visit of Nancy Pelosi last Tuesday and Wednesday to the island.
“We went there to show our friendship and to say that China cannot isolate Taiwan,” added Nancy Pelosi.
Beijing said Wednesday that although the exercises started last Thursday are officially over, China will continue to conduct patrols in the Taiwan Strait and keep its troops in battle order.
(Report Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina; French version Camille Raynaud)