New Delhi: China’s foreign ministry on Friday announced unspecified sanctions against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her visit to Taiwan this week.
The ministry said Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan was a “serious violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a serious violation of the One China policy”.
Pelosi arrived on an unannounced trip to Taipei Tuesday evening, ignoring a maelstrom of warnings from China that considers the self-governed island its own territory.
Pelosi met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and human rights advocates before flying out Wednesday, to resume her Asia trip that had Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan on the official itinerary.
After landing in Taiwan, Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “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.”
As soon as news leaked Monday that Pelosi would touch down in Taiwan, China responded with unprecedented military drills in the Taiwan Strait, even crossing into Taiwanese waters.
The exercises which will continue till midday Sunday disrupted key trading routes for cargo and commodities sailing around the world.
Live missiles were fired during the drill as jets flew over the island nation, in a first.
On Thursday, China sent 22 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), all of them crossing the unspoken median line.
In Tokyo Friday – on the last leg of her Asia tour — Nancy Pelosi said the US would not allow Taiwan to be isolated. “They (China) are not doing our travel schedule.”
She said: “It’s about the Taiwan Relations Act, the US-China policy, all of the pieces of legislation and agreements that have established what our relationship is — to have peace in the Taiwan Strait and to have the status quo prevail.”
She spoke about Taiwan’s “free and open democracy”, successful economy and progressive LGBTQ rights. “I am proud to have worked over the years to showcase the concerns that they have with mainland China,” she added.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also called for an immediate halt to the Chinese army’s drills, calling them “a serious issue concerning the security of our country and its people”.
Also read: US asks China not to overreact to Pelosi’s Taiwan visit