US House Speaker Pelosi concludes Taiwan trip, pledges US support to the island
Asia-Pacific, News, US August 3, 2022 1 Comment on US House Speaker Pelosi concludes Taiwan trip, pledges US support to the islandU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan on August 3, concluding a highly watched visit that made her the most senior American lawmaker to travel to Taiwan in 25 years.
Nancy Pelosi pledged an “ironclad” U.S. commitment to Taiwan during a historic visit to the island that raised tensions between the Washinton and Beijing which announced military exercises around Taiwan in retaliation.
Pelosi said that her trip to Taiwan “honors America’s unwavering commitment” to the country’s “vibrant Democracy.”
“Our Congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan. We came to Taiwan to listen to, learn from and show our support for the people of Taiwan, who have built a thriving Democracy” she said in her official statement.
However, the U.S. House speaker also mentioned America’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act in her article in Washington Post published upon her arrival. “Our visit — one of several congressional delegations to the island — in no way contradicts the long-standing one-China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo,” she wrote.
Pelosi began her visit to Asia starting on August 1, 2022, from Singapore and later Malaysia. After Taiwan, she is now headed to South Korea, and then Japan.
Pelosi meets Taiwan’s President
Pelosi and other members of her delegation on Wednesday met with President Tsai Ing-wen and other Taiwanese officials. The U.S. delegation exchanged views with Taiwan counterparts on a wide range of issues of importance to both the United States and Taiwan including peace and security, economic growth and trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights, and democratic governance.
“While respecting the “One China” policy, our solidarity with Taiwan is more important than ever,” Pelosi said during a joint news conference.
“Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” Pelosi told the Taiwanese president. “America’s determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad.”
They also visited Taiwan’s National Human Rights Museum, where they had a roundtable discussion with human rights activists, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said Pelosi’s visits “sends a message to the world that democracies stand together.”
Pelosi made the trip despite President Biden’s warning last month that military officials advised against it.
The visit came despite warnings from China
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached Taiwan on Tuesday night despite threats from China of serious consequences.
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan and reacted aggressively to any gestures that may suggest the self-governing island is an independent country. China’s Defense Ministry announced a series of targeted military operations to “safeguard national sovereignty” in response to Pelosi’s visit. It vowed to “resolutely thwart external interference and ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist attempts.”
The Chinese military dispatched fighter jets, ordered military exercises, and braced combat readiness before the U.S. official’s trip.
During a White House briefing on August 1, 2022, Kirby repeatedly stated that “There’s no reason for this to escalate.” He also reiterated that the Biden administration continues to endorse the “One China” policy.
Meanwhile, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the U.S. said that they were concerned by recent actions by China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion. “There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.”
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[…] situation become even worse in August after the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on a highly controversial trip. Pelosi’s actions did not set well with Beijing, which responded […]