House Speaker Lands On Island To “Honor United States Commitment To Democracy”
Nancy Pelosi is now on Taiwanese soil, the most senior American politician to do so in a quarter of a century. A visit that the president of the House of Representatives, the state’s third authority, has characterized as a manifestation of her country’s commitment to democracy, and presumes a head-on clash between the established and the emerging power. Once that unknown has been clarified, in doubt since it leaked to the international media two weeks ago, the next question lies in China’s response.
The Asian giant warned from the outset with “serious and resolute measures” in light of what it considers a “violation of its national sovereignty”, to the point of impending “disastrous consequences for the Taiwan region, as well as for prosperity and order.” from around the world,” State Department spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press conference on Tuesday, while Pelosi’s plane was still en route without an explicit destination.
The answer does not wait. As soon as they landed, state television ‘CGTN’ reported that Chinese Su-35 fighters “crossed the Taiwan Strait”, without giving more details. The island’s Ministry of Defense denies this point and assures it is monitoring all movements in the area and will respond based on “enemy threats”.
The People’s Liberation Army, whose forces have been concentrating since early morning in Fujian Province, the mainland coast closest to Taiwan, has announced “major live-fire military exercises” in six areas around the island, which began this morning. could start and last until Sunday. . It uses naval and air forces and uses conventional artillery and long-range artillery. However, Pelosi will be gone as she is scheduled to leave Taiwan tomorrow morning on Wednesday after a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen.
The last time tensions reached such heights, during the Third Straits Crisis in 1995 and 1996, military exercises were confined to Taiwan’s west coast. Experts consulted in recent months about a possible invasion have already pointed out that one of China’s first priorities would be to deploy troops around the island to isolate it, in line with maneuvers announced today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that Pelosi’s visit “constitutes a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and undermines the peace and stability of Taiwan”. “There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory and the Government of the People’s Republic is its only legitimate representative,” he stated before adding that “the Taiwan issue represents the most important, central and sensitive problem The official Chinese media has been quick to predict that what has happened will accelerate the reunification efforts of the self-governed island, which China considers a rebellious province that has never given up on subduing it by force.
Pelosi, for her part, explained the reasons for her trip in a forum published in the newspaper ‘The Washington Post’, which saw the light of day as soon as she set foot in Taipei. “This vibrant, robust democracy, recognized as one of the freest in the world, is in danger. In recent years, Beijing has dramatically increased tensions with Taiwan. Today, America must remember its commitment to support the defense of Taiwan.” However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives clarified that “our visit does not in any way contradict the One China policy that we have maintained for so long. The United States continues to resist unilateral attempts to change the ‘status quo’.”
Pelosi has denounced the regime’s human rights abuses in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang, recalling how thirty years ago she “participated in a delegation to China that unfolded a black and white banner in Tiananmen Square in memory of to those who died for democracy. “The world faces the choice between autocracy and democracy. By traveling to Taiwan, we honor our commitment to democracy: reaffirming that the freedoms of Taiwan and all democracies must be respected,” he concluded . The mystery of his journey, already revealed, is leading China and the United States into a new crisis. Its consequences represent another of many contained in that mystery which, for now only, is the future.
Source: La Verdad
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