TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan Tuesday night despite Beijing’s threats of dire consequences, allowing the top U. S. official in 25 years to climb the autonomous island claimed by China.
Pelosi sparked heightened tension between China and the United States. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be forcibly annexed if necessary, and considers exchanges through foreign government officials to be the popularity of the island’s sovereignty.
China had warned of “resolute measures and measures” if Pelosi continued her journey. China’s Defense Ministry said late Tuesday it would conduct a series of specific military operations to “safeguard national sovereignty” in reaction to Pelosi’s visit. He vowed to “thwart interference and separatist attempts at ‘Taiwan independence. ‘”
Biden’s management did not explicitly urge Pelosi to cancel the visit, but assured Beijing that it would not sign any adjustments to U. S. policy toward Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington’s betrayal “over the Taiwan factor is ruining its national credibility. “
“Some U. S. politicians are betting with fire on the Taiwan issue,” Wang said in a statement. the world. “
Pelosi said shortly after her arrival that the U. S. delegation’s scale in “honors America’s unwavering commitment to support taiwan’s colorful democracy. “
“Ours is one of many congressional delegations to Taiwan, and that in no way contradicts long-standing U. S. policy,” he said.
The plane carrying Pelosi and her delegation departed Malaysia the previous Tuesday after a brief layover that included a lunch with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry declined to say whether Pelosi would surrender. It has not been officially announced in advance.
Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei, where Pelosi remained amid heightened security. . “
China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province that will be forcibly annexed if necessary, has continuously warned of retaliation for Pelosi’s vi, saying its military will “never sit idly by. “
“The United States and Taiwan agreed to make provocations first, and China was only forced to act in self-defense,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.
Hua said China maintains constant communication with the United States and made clear “how damaging it would be if the stopover were made. “Said.
Shortly after Pelosi’s arrival, a representative of the Standing Committee of the Chinese legislature said the holiday “seriously violated” the “one-China principle,” which is Beijing’s claim to be the sole government of mainland China and Taiwan.
Prior to its arrival, unspecified hackers introduced a cyberattack on the online page of Taiwan’s presidential office, making it temporarily unavailable on Tuesday night. The presidential office said the online page was restored some time after the attack, which surpassed it with traffic.
“China believes that by launching a multi-domain tension crusade against Taiwan, the other Taiwanese will be intimidated. But they are wrong,” Wang Ting-yu, a lawmaker from the Democratic Progressive Party, said on Twitter in reaction to the attack. .
Threats from China’s military have raised fears of a new crisis in the 100-140-kilometer (140-kilometer) wide Taiwan Strait that could disrupt global markets and supply chains.
The White House on Monday denounced Beijing’s rhetoric, saying the United States had no interest in deepening tensions with China and would “take the bait or indulge in saber rattling. “
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby under pressure that the resolution to travel to Taiwan ultimately falls to Pelosi. He noted that members of Congress have visited the island over the years.
Kirby said management officials are concerned that Beijing may simply use the conflict as an excuse to take provocative retaliatory measures, adding military moves such as missile launches in or around taiwan Strait, or air raids into the island’s airspace and large-scale naval operations. the strait
“Simply put, there is no explanation as to why Beijing turns a perspective in line with long-standing U. S. policy into some kind of crisis or uses it as a pretext to develop competitive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” Kirby said.
U. S. Officials The U. S. military said the U. S. military said the U. S. military was able to. . . The U. S. government would develop its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region on Pelosi’s visit. condition of anonymity to discuss army operations.
The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins departed Singapore after a port stopover and moved north to their homeport in Japan. The carrier has a variety of aircraft, in addition to F/A-18 fighter jets and helicopters. such as radar systems and other weapons.
Taiwan and China seceded in 1949 after the Communists won a civil war on the mainland. The United States has casual relations and defensive ties with Taiwan, though it recognizes Beijing as China’s government.
Beijing sees official U. S. contact. The U. S. with Taiwan as a stimulus to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step that U. S. leaders have taken to make permanent. The U. S. says they don’t support. Pelosi, head of one of the 3 branches of the U. S. government. U. S. Elected Official Since President Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Flight tracking site Flightradar24 said Pelosi’s plane, a U. S. Air Force Boeing C-40C, was a U. S. Air Force. In the U. S. , it was the most followed in the world on Tuesday night with 300,000 spectators. The plane took a detoured route, flying east over Indonesia than directly over the South China Sea.
Pelosi has used her position in the U. S. Congress. U. S. as U. S. envoyon the world stage. He has long challenged China on human rights, adding that in 2009 he personally delivered a letter to then-President Hu Jintao calling for the release of political prisoners. She had sought democracy on the island of Taiwan before this year before testing positive for covid-19.
Pelosi kicked off her Asian trip to Singapore on Monday as her imaginable stopover in Taiwan raised concerns in the region.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong “emphasized the importance of strong U. S. -China relations for regional peace and security” in talks with Pelosi, the city-state’s foreign ministry said. between the two rival powers “they are also incredibly vital to the foreign community. “
The Philippines has suggested that the United States and China be “responsible actors” in the region. “It is vital that the United States and China maintain constant communication in the face of any miscalculations and further escalation of tensions,” Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Teresita Daza said. Said.
China has increased diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan. China cut off all contact with the Taiwanese government in 2016 after President Tsai Ing-wen refused to back up her claim that the island and mainland combined form a single Chinese nation, with the communist regime in Beijing being the only valid government.
Pelosi is scheduled to travel to Japan and South Korea later this week.