Pelosi says US won’t leave Taiwan, China protests

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with leaders in Taiwan despite warnings from China and said Wednesday that she and other members of Congress in a visiting delegation are showing they will not abandon their commitment. with the autonomous island.

“Today the world is facing a choice between democracy and autocracy,” he said in a brief speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. “America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains unwavering.”

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement of Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island, parts of which will enter Taiwanese waters, and issued a series of harsh statements after The delegation will land on Tuesday night in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

Taiwan denounced the planned actions.

“Such an act amounts to sealing off Taiwan by air and sea, such an act covers our country’s territory and territorial waters, and seriously violates our country’s territorial sovereignty,” Capt. Jian-chang Yu told a Defense Ministry briefing. National.

The Chinese military exercises, including live fire, will begin on Thursday and will be the largest directed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise to show discontent over then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui’s visit to Taiwan. USA.

The official news agency Xinhua China announced the military actions Tuesday night, along with a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan. Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense studies expert at the Central Taiwan Police University, said three of the areas infringe Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of the coast.

Using live fire in a country’s airspace or territorial waters is risky, Wang said, adding that “under international rules of engagement, this could possibly be seen as an act of war.”

Pelosi’s trip has raised tensions between the United States and China more than visits by other members of Congress due to her high-profile position as House leader. She is the first Speaker of the House to visit Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Taiwanese President Tsai responded Wednesday to military intimidation from Beijing.

“Facing deliberately intensified military threats, Taiwan will not back down,” Tsai said in her meeting with Pelosi. “We will firmly defend the sovereignty of our nation and continue to uphold the line of defense of democracy.”

Tsai, thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, presented her with a civilian honor, the Order of Auspicious Clouds.

China’s response has been loud and varied.

Shortly after Pelosi landed Tuesday night, China announced live-fire drills that are supposed to start that night, as well as four-day exercises that will begin Thursday.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force also flew a contingent of 21 warplanes Tuesday night, including fighter jets, to Taiwan. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng also summoned US Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns to broadcast the country’s protests later that night.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV released footage of PLA drills and videos on Wednesday, though it was unclear where they were being held.

Addressing Beijing’s threats Wednesday morning, Pelosi said she hopes it’s clear that while China has prevented Taiwan from attending certain international gatherings, “they understand that they won’t get in the way of people who come to Taiwan as a show of friendship and support”.

Pelosi noted that support for Taiwan is bipartisan in Congress and praised the island’s democracy. He stopped short of saying the US would defend Taiwan militarily, emphasizing that Congress is “committed to Taiwan’s security, so that Taiwan can most effectively defend itself.”

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