US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan has resulted in stern warnings from Beijing and mounting concerns in Washington.
The California Democrat is leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific, with stops including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, according to a statement released by her office on Sunday.
The statement made no mention of Taiwan, despite speculation in recent days that Pelosi might be planning to visit the self-governing democracy of 24 million people.
However this morning local sources confirmed that Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan on her trip to Asia, despite warnings from China that its military ‘will not sit idly by’ if she does.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry reacted to this information, repeating that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will lead to “serious consequences”, China will “certainly take decisive measures” to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Videos started circulating showing that the Chinese army is moving its military arsenal toward Taiwan.
Video below:
Nancy Pelosi to fly to Taiwan from Clark Air Base in the Philippines on 4th August, sources
The Chinese website of Radio France Internationale quoted sources today as saying that U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will fly to Taiwan via Clark Air Base in the Philippines on 4th August to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei. She will arrive at the Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on the afternoon of the 5th and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The Speaker of the US House of Representatives website announced Pelosi’s itinerary on the 31st, confirming that she will visit Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Taiwan was not mentioned in the press release, only that the itinerary was “related to safety and security.”
According to Chinese state media, Mr Xi said the United States should abide by the “one-China principle” and stressed it firmly opposed Taiwanese independence and interference of external forces.
Beijing has issued escalating warnings about repercussions should Ms Pelosi – a leading Democrat like Mr Biden – visit Taiwan, which says it is facing increasing Chinese military and economic threats.
In addition, Chinese government propagandist Hu Xijin said on Saturday he deleted a tweet warning of military retaliation if US military jets escort House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on her visit to Taiwan.
However, he removed the tweet only after Twitter blocked his account.
China won’t ‘sit idly by’ as new report claims Pelosi will visit Taiwan
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan on her current swing through Asia despite escalating threats from China, which views the island nation as part of its territory, according to a new report.
CNN, citing a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official, reported that Pelosi’s trip would include an overnight stay — though the report did not mention when the visit would take place.
Meanwhile, a Chinese Foreign Ministry rep warned Monday that Beijing’s military would “not sit idly by” if Pelosi (D-Calif.) enters Taiwan.
Zhao Lijian also declared that due to Pelosi’s status as the “No. 3 official of the U.S. government,” a Taiwan visit would “lead to egregious political impact.”
Meanwhile, Taiwanese outlet SET News reported Monday that Taipei’s Ministry of National Defense had canceled leave for some officers and soldiers and put the country’s air force on a war footing. The outlet also indicated that Pelosi would arrive in Taiwan at some point Tuesday night.
In a statement Sunday, Pelosi’s office listed Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan as countries on her itinerary. The statement did not mention Taiwan, but that does not mean the speaker has ruled out traveling there.
On Friday, a columnist at China’s state-controlled Global Times newspaper suggested the country’s military could attack and shoot down Pelosi’s plane if she attempted to enter Taiwanese airspace with a fighter jet escort.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing about the potential trip have reached the point where the US military has started devising contingency plans for any incident that may arise if Pelosi goes to Taiwan.
The US government has for decades kept a policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan — recognizing Beijing’s claim to the island while not endorsing it.
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