Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan voicing `America`s solidarity`; China hits back, warns of `targeted` military operations

Nancy Pelosi`s visit to Taiwan is the first official visit to the East Asian country by a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in over two decades. The visit, however, has triggered increased tensions between China and the United States.

New Delhi: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday (August 2, 2022) despite China's repeated warnings and said that "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever". In an official statement issued upon arrival in Taipei, Nancy Pelosi and Members of a Congressional Delegation said their visit is part of their "broader trip" to the Indo-Pacific.  

"Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy," the statement read.

"Our Congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy," they said.

"Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan – and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances.  The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," the statement by Pelosi's office added.

Pelosi's visit is the first official visit to Taiwan by a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 25 years. The visit, however, has triggered increased tensions between China and the United States. 

China blasts Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, warns of 'targeted' military operations

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island's sovereignty, warned that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan will have a "severe impact" on bilateral ties and it "gravely undermines" regional peace and stability.

After Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong statement and said that her visit is a "serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques".

"It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for 'Taiwan independence'. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious demarche and strong protest to the United States," it said.

"There is but one-China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," the statement added.

"The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations," Beijing said.

Citing the Ministry of National Defence, state-run Global Times reported that the Chinese military "will launch a series of targeted military operations to counter Pelosi's visit to Taiwan island, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It said PLA Eastern Theater Command will also hold joint military operations around Taiwan, with joint maritime and air drills in North, South West, South East of island, long-range artillery shooting in Taiwan Straits, and conventional missile test firing in sea regions East of island starting Tuesday night.

With tensions already high, several Chinese warplanes flew close to the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday morning before leaving later in the day. As per media reports, several Chinese warships have also sailed near the unofficial dividing line since Monday and remained there.

Four US warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, were also positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the US Navy called routine deployments. The carrier had transited the South China Sea and was now in the Philippines Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, Reuters reported citing a US Navy official.

Since last week, China's People's Liberation Army has also conducted various exercises, including live-fire drills, in the South China Sea, Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, in a show of Chinese military might.

(With agency reports)