Taipei, Taiwan – US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after a visit that escalated tensions with China, saying she and other members of Congress in her delegation showed they would not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island.
Pelosi, the first US speaker to visit the island in more than 25 years, sparked Beijing’s wrath with the visit and sparked a debate for more than a week, after news of it leaked, was a good idea. .
In Taipei, she remained calm but defiant.
“Today the world is facing a choice between democracy and autocracy,” she said in a brief speech during a meeting with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. “America’s determination to uphold democracy here, in Taiwan and around the world, is made of iron.”
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese authorities with foreign governments, announced a series of military exercises around the island, parts of which were in Taiwanese waters. will enter, and issued a series of harsh statements After the delegation touched down on Tuesday night in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, T.
Beijing portrayed the practice as “necessary and justified”, Agence France-Presse reported. “In the current conflict over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the United States is the instigator, China is the victim,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.
Taiwan condemned the planned actions, saying they violated the island’s sovereignty.
“Such an act is equivalent to sealing Taiwan by air and sea, such an act covers the territory and territorial waters of our country, and our Seriously violates the territorial sovereignty of the country.”
Four days of Chinese military exercises, including live fire, are set to begin on Thursday and will be the biggest target for Taiwan since 1995, when China fired massive missiles to show its displeasure over the visit of then-Taiwanese President Li. Fired. Teng-Hui to America
Taiwan’s President Tsai on Wednesday strongly responded to Beijing’s military threat.
In her meeting with Pelosi, Tsai said, “Taiwan will not back down in the face of deliberate increased military threats.” “We will firmly uphold the sovereignty of our country and continue to defend democracy.”
When China’s official Xinhua news agency announced military action Tuesday night, it published a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan.
Defense studies specialist Arthur Xin-sheng Wang of Taiwan’s Central Police University said the three areas violate Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles of shore.
While using live fire in a country’s territorial airspace or water is risky, Wang said, “according to international rules of engagement, it could potentially be viewed as an act of war.”
Reuters news agency reports that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was condemned on social media in China. One blogger said, “This old she-freak, she really dares to come!”
Reuters also reported that the Kremlin said on Wednesday that the amount of tension easing Pelosi’s stop “should not be underestimated” and that it was “provocation”.
Pelosi’s visit has fueled more US-China tensions than visits by other members of Congress due to her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives.
She is the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997. However, other members of Congress have visited Taiwan in the past year.
Tsai presented the speaker with the Order of the Propious Clouds, a civilian honour, thanking Pelosi for decades of support for Taiwan.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Shi Feng summoned US Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns to apprise him of the country’s protests.
On Wednesday, China banned some imports from Taiwan, including citrus fruits and fish.
Pelosi addressed Beijing’s threats on Wednesday morning, saying she hoped it was clear that China prevented Taiwan from participating in some international meetings “that they understand as a show of friendship and support.” Will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan.”
He said support for Taiwan is bipartisan in Congress and praised the island’s democracy.
He declined to say that the US would defend Taiwan militarily, emphasizing that Congress is “committed to the security of Taiwan so that Taiwan can defend itself most effectively.”
His focus has always been the same, he said, going back to his visit to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1991, when he and other lawmakers held a small supporting democracy, two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters in the square. Banner hoisted. The visit was also about human rights and what he called dangerous technology transfers to “rogue countries.”
Pelosi visited a human rights museum in Taipei that details the island’s martial law era history and met with some of Taiwan’s most prominent rights activists, including an exiled former Hong Kong bookseller who was arrested by Chinese authorities, Lam Wing. -Ki was taken into custody.
Pelosi, who is leading the trip along with five other members of Congress, also met with representatives of Taiwan’s legislature.
“Without any fear, the president’s visit to Taiwan with the delegation is the strongest defense to uphold human rights and strengthen the values of democracy and freedom,” Tsai Chi-chang, deputy chairman of Taiwan’s legislature, said at the reception.
Biden administration has Demanded to reduce the quantity on the tripHe insisted there is no change to the US “one-China policy”, which recognizes Beijing but allows for informal ties and defense ties with Taipei.
Pelosi said her delegation is “heavy”, which includes House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks and House Intelligence Committee’s Raja Krishnamurthy. Representatives Andy Kim and Mark Takano are also in the delegation.
He also mentioned Representative Suzanne DelBene, whom Pelosi said was instrumental in passing the $280 billion bill aimed at promoting it.
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