US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial trip to Taiwan on Tuesday night sparked protests at the hotel she was said to be staying at in Taipei. The Democratic lawmaker began a visit that Beijing warned against, saying it would damage Sino-US relations.
A crowd that had gathered outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel held up signs that read: “I’m Taiwanese. I stand for Taiwan independence.”
“We are here to witness history, because since 1997 the US has not sent a high-ranking official to come to Taiwan. When I learned today that she might be coming to Taiwan, I was very excited and wanted to come and see for myself. Because she supports democracy, and her ideals are very clear and similar to ours. And we think Taiwan is a country,” said Abby Ting, a 38-year-old local resident.
29-year-old financial worker Simon Lin thanked the deputy “for ignoring China’s threats and coming to Taiwan to support the island’s fight for freedom and democracy”.
A separate group of anti-US protesters also protested outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel, stepping on an American flag and chanting “Pelosi, get out”.
Pelosi is on a tour of Asia that includes planned visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.
China claims self-governing Taiwan is its property, and a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said earlier this week that any visit by Pelosi would be “gross interference in China’s internal affairs” and warned that “the Liberation Army of the Chinese People will never sit idly by. ”
The United States said on Monday that it would not be intimidated by what it called China’s “saber rattle.”
Most of Pelosi’s planned meetings in Taiwan, including with President Tsai Ing-wen, are scheduled for Wednesday, an official familiar with her itinerary said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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