TAIPEI, Taiwan – Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi leaves Taiwan on Wednesday after a tornado visit that captured global attention and more strained relations between the United States and China.
Before boarding a plane to leave the island at around 6 a.m. ET, Pelosi declared her solidarity with the self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its territory while China conducts military exercises. , summoned the US ambassador and halted some imports from Taiwan to express anger against her visit.
“Our delegation is here to send a clear message: America stands with Taiwan,” Pelosi said at a news conference in Taipei after meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Beijing has been warning about Pelosi’s visit for weeks, issuing threats that have raised fears of a new crisis in the region between the world’s two largest economies. Immediately after her encounter on Tuesday, Chinese officials released a series of angry statements and announced plans for military exercises to begin immediately.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry criticized Pelosi’s visit as a “political farce”.
“It is Pelosi who is the great person, but bilateral relations and regional peace and stability will be affected,” Hua Chunying said.
Several additional military exercises are planned this weekend in Taiwan’s air and sea territory, a move the island’s democracy accuses of being a serious violation. including land and naval blockades.
Both Pelosi and Tsai said they were committed to maintaining the status quo, under which the United States recognizes Beijing as China’s sole legitimate government but maintains informal relations with Taiwan.
“We want Taiwan to always have security freedom, and we don’t back down from that,” Pelosi said.
Tsai thanked the US delegation, including five other House Democratic lawmakers, for visiting “under such difficult circumstances,” calling the Chinese military exercises “unnecessary. ”
China considers Pelosi’s visit highly provocative because of her status as a senior official. While other U.S. lawmakers and other current and former government officials visit Taiwan, Pelosi is the first House speaker to visit the island since Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Pelosi said that although China has prevented Taiwan from participating in international organizations and meetings, “they will not prevent people from coming to Taiwan.” Lights on Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest building, display a message of welcome and gratitude for the speaker’s visit.
Many supporters met Pelosi outside her hotel, along with pro-Beijing protesters holding banners demanding her leave.
“The good thing is that I think this will tell the world more about Taiwan’s existence as a democratic country,” said Xu Hao-jun, a 45-year-old software designer in Taipei. told NBC News on Wednesday. “Bad point? I think China won’t be friendly, but that doesn’t mean just because Pelosi doesn’t go to Taiwan, they won’t be.”
Pelosi began Wednesday by addressing Taiwan’s parliament, praising the island as “one of the freest societies in the world.”
At a later ceremony, Tsai gave Pelosi a civil order of the highest rank, calling her “one of Taiwan’s most devoted friends.”
In the afternoon, Pelosi – a longtime critic of the ruling Communist Party and its human rights record – met privately with three Chinese dissidents, local media reported. The delegation then boarded a plane to South Korea, the fourth stop on a larger Asian tour that includes Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and considers “reunification” inevitable, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says the island’s future should be decided by its 23 million people.
In one statement On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the United States of provoking the controversy and encouraging supporters of Taiwan independence.
“Attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China have all failed,” he said.
The White House said Pelosi’s visit was in line with longstanding US policy on Taiwan, which it said had not changed and had no reason for it to stir up conflict.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that the US “will not seek and do not want a crisis. We are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do. “.
The response from China was very quick.
China’s Foreign Ministry summoned Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to China, late Tuesday to protest, state media reported.
At the same time, China’s Ministry of National Defense said the People’s Liberation Army had begun “targeted military operations” around Taiwan, including joint air and sea exercises and military incidents. conventional missile test.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said its self-declared air defense identification zone, which lies outside the country’s official airspace, was visited by a total of 21 Chinese military aircraft on Tuesday. Such military sorties took place almost daily, but often in smaller numbers.
On the economic front, Chinese customs officials said they would suspend imports of some Taiwanese food products, while the Ministry of Commerce halted exports of natural sand to the island.
Taiwan government websites also minor cyberattacks experienced when Pelosi arrived on Tuesday, the source was unclear.
The PLA said military exercises and additional training activities, including live-fire drills, will be held from Thursday to Sunday. State media released a map showing six areas off the coast of Taiwan, including one less than 15 miles from the southern port city of Kaohsiung, and warned of foreign ships and planes. away.
In a statement on Wednesday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said this would seriously affect international trade and law. Taiwan said Taiwan is closely communicating and coordinating with the United States and like-minded countries in the region to “jointly safeguard the rules-based international order” and “avoid escalation in the region.”
Rhoda Kwan reports from Taipei, and Jennifer Jett reports from Hong Kong.
