Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) landed in Taiwan on Tuesday adding to the country’s increasing tension with China.
Prior to Pelosi’s arrival, China warned that if she visited during her congressional Asia trip, its military will “never sit idly by” if it feels it is being threatened as it still considers Taiwan Chinese territory though the small country has proved itself to be an island of democracy. She is the first Speaker of the House to visit the country in the past 25 years. The stop had been mentioned as a possibility, but was not been previously announced as a definite stop.
“There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit, consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” National Security Council Strategic Coordinator for Communications John Kirby said on Monday.
Pelosi is scheduled to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday.
President Joe Biden had also expressed his hesitation as Pelosi planned the trip. He publicly said that the military did not think it was a good time to visit Taiwan.
China has moved military assets to the unofficial border between the two countries, reports say.
Though both country’s militaries are on a heightened alert, analysts don’t think either one will act. Taiwan may, however, suffer from economic sanctions from China. China has already announced a ban on Taiwanese food imports.
“Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning. “Our discussions with Taiwan leadership reaffirm our support for our partner & promote our shared interests, including advancing a free & 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 California Democrat added.
Pelosi will also visit Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
