US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan amid threats of Chinese retaliation

A senior Taiwanese official informed CNN that the House speaker is predicted to go to Taiwan’s presidential workplace and parliament on Wednesday morning (native time). The official stated she would go to parliament earlier than heading to the presidential workplace for a gathering with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Pelosi is predicted to depart Taiwan on Wednesday, in line with a information launch issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials weren’t approved to talk about Pelosi’s journey plans that haven’t been publicized.

The American Institute in Taiwan stated Pelosi’s delegation would focus on “US-Taiwan relations, peace and security, economic development and trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights, democratic governance and other important discussions” with senior Taiwanese leaders. problems with mutual curiosity,” the institute stated in an announcement.

Pelosi’s stop in Taiwan was not listed on the itinerary of her congressional trip to Asia, but the stops were discussed in the weeks leading up to her trip. The potential moratorium warned China as well as the Biden administration, which briefed the speaker about the risks of visiting the democratic, self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory.

China’s international ministry issued an announcement after Pelosi’s touchdown, alleging that his go to “has a critical impression on the political foundations of Sino-US relations, and gravely violates China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“This severely undermines peace and stability within the Taiwan Strait, and sends a gravely flawed sign to separatist forces searching for ‘Taiwan independence’,” the foreign ministry said. “China strongly opposes and strongly condemns it, and has vehemently opposed and strongly against the United States.”

The statement follows China’s warning against the “critical political implications” of Pelosi’s visit, saying the Chinese military “is not going to sit idly by if Beijing believes its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” are threatened. “.

The White House said on Tuesday that Pelosi’s visit was in line with US policy on Taiwan and that the US would closely monitor China’s activities after Pelosi’s departure.

“Obviously, we are going to take a closer look at this. There is no reason for this visit to become a crisis or an encouraging event for conflict or the pretext that the Chinese might try to whip up some sort of military action. John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, said Tuesday on CNN’s “At This Hour with Kate Bolduan.”

“Of course we’re involved about that, which is why half and parcel of his go to is to reaffirm the United States’ dedication underneath the Taiwan Relations Act to assist Taiwan in its self-defense,” Kirby said. “Again, there isn’t any cause for it to erupt into battle. There’s no change in our coverage. It’s precisely in keeping with it. And we’ll maintain watching as issues unfold.”

White House officials on Monday warned Beijing not to take any aggressive action in response to Pelosi’s visit. Kirby told reporters, “Consistent with long-standing US coverage close to Beijing, a possible go to ought to be used as an excuse to escalate into some type of disaster or battle, or to extend aggressive army exercise in or across the Taiwan Strait. There’s no cause to.” on Monday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said on Monday that the decision to visit Taiwan was the speaker’s, noting that there was precedent of members of Congress – including the speaker of the previous House – visiting. “Congress is an unbiased, equal department of presidency,” Blinken said in remarks to the United Nations. “The choice rests completely with the speaker.”

A group of more than two dozen Senate Republicans, including Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, issued a statement supporting Pelosi’s congressional delegation, who were all Democrats, landing in Taiwan.

“We assist Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s go to to Taiwan,” the Republican said. “For decades, members of the United States Congress, including past Speakers of the House, have visited Taiwan. This visit is in line with the United States One China policy to which we are committed. We are still committed, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act.”

US President Joe Biden has publicly stated that the US army didn’t consider it was a great time for Pelosi to go to Taiwan, however they stopped wanting asking him to not go immediately, two sources beforehand informed CNN. informed.

Taiwan stays some of the controversial points in US-China relations. Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping mentioned this intimately throughout a cellphone name final week that lasted greater than two hours.

Administration officers are involved that Pelosi’s go to comes at a very tense second, as Xi is predicted to hunt an unprecedented third time period on the upcoming Chinese Communist Party Congress. It is predicted that Chinese occasion officers will start to put the groundwork for that convention within the coming weeks, which is able to put stress on the management in Beijing to point out energy.

While Biden has not endorsed Pelosi’s go to, US officers consider that the Chinese management might counter the House speaker’s go to with an official administration go to, and they’re involved that China could change Pelosi with Biden. Doesn’t separate a lot, if in any respect, as a result of each are Democrats.

Pelosi has lengthy been a stalwart of China in Congress. She beforehand met with pro-democracy dissidents and the Dalai Lama – the Tibetan religious chief in exile who stays a thorn within the aspect of the Chinese authorities. He additionally helped show a black-and-white banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square two years after the 1989 bloodbath, and lately he has voiced pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

This story has been up to date with further improvement.