Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit: China slams 'extremely dangerous' US action, puts military on high alert
2 min read 02 Aug 2022, 08:20 PM ISTUS House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has landed in Taiwan despite China's threat of 'serious consequences'
PremiumUS House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday amid a security threat from China as it warned of "serious consequences". After Nancy Pelosi's aircraft landed in Taiwan, China slammed the United States and said it was an “extremely dangerous" action by the country. Chinese foreign ministry said Nancy Pelosi's visit “seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".
In a statement issued just after her arrival in Taipei late on Tuesday, China's foreign ministry said Pelosi's visit severely impacts the political foundations of China-US relations and said it had lodged a strong protest with the United States. "The United States constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the 'One China' principle," Beijing's foreign ministry said.
China had warned the United States that it will "pay the price" if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan during her Asia visit. Beijing had warned the United States that Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would undermine Sino-US relations.
After landing in Taiwan, Nancy Pelosi tweeted that her visit honours the United States' unwavering "commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy".
“Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership reaffirm our support for our partner & promote our shared interests, including advancing a free & open Indo-Pacific region," she tweeted.
Pelosi visit shows 'rock solid' US support for Taiwan: Taiwan
As Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan despite repeated threats from China, Taiwan foreign ministry said that the US House Speaker's visit shows "rock solid" support from Washington.
"We believe that the visit by Speaker Pelosi will strengthen the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the United States, and further deepen the global cooperation between the two sides in all areas," Taipei said.
Chinese military on ‘high alert’, 'targeted military operations' to be launched
The Chinese military has been put on high alert following Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The military will launch "targeted military operations" in response to the US House Speaker's visit to Taiwan, Beijing said.
Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has said that it will conduct joint military operations near Taiwan from Tuesday night to register strong opposition to Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island nation which China considers as its own territory.
Ahead of Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has largely indicated through warnings that the US House Speaker's visit to Taiwan would be viewed as a "major provocation".
Also Read | Explained: Why China is opposing Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan
"The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press briefing in Beijing.
The foreign ministry spokesperson also said that the visit by Nancy Pelosi would be "a gross interference in China's internal affairs" and warned that "the Chinese People's Liberation Army will never sit idly by."
Just ahead of Nancy Pelo's landing in Taiwan, Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. In the latest rhetorical salvo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that US politicians who "play with fire" on the Taiwan issue will "come to no good end".
Meanwhile, the United States said it would not be intimidated by what it called Chinese "sabre-rattling".
(With agency inputs)
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