Finally, after sources in Taipei and Washington indicated that the high-risk visit of Nancy Pelosi, president of the United States House of Representatives, to Taiwan would take place and that the official could arrive on the island on August 2 at night, the tension between China and the United States is at its peak now that the news has been confirmed by Pelosi herself through her official Twitter account.
Our visit reiterates that the United States stands with Taiwan: a strong and vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific.
Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/2sSRJXN6ST
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 2, 2022
In recent days, the prospect of a visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan has threatened to trigger a major diplomatic crisis between China and the United States. Beijing had issued a series of warnings to the American country against a trip, which could have “a negative impact” on Sino-US relations, promising “strong and resolute measures”.
On August 2, the spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, Hua Chunying, warned that such a visit to Taiwan would have a “considerable political impact and could provoke a military response”:
Surely the United States will be responsible [de las consecuencias] and he will have to pay the price for his attack on China’s sovereignty and security.
China sees visits by US officials to Taiwan as a boost to the island’s independence camp. However, although Washington has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is legally bound to provide it with the means to defend its sovereignty.
On August 28, during a phone call, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stern statement to his American counterpart Joe Biden, warning him that Washington must respect the “one China” principle and that “those who play with fire will perish.” over there”.
For his part, Joe Biden had made it clear to Xi Jinping that US policy towards Taiwan had not changed and that Washington strongly opposed unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Pelosi is in Asia on an official visit and went to countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. Now Nancy Pelosi, a staunch critic of China throughout her more than three decades in Congress, is the most senior American official to visit Taiwan since her predecessor, Newt Gingrich, in 1997.
Shortly after landing in Taiwan, through an opinion piece published by Washington Post, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives assures that her visit to the island does not contradict the “long-standing one China policy”. However, she emphasized that in recent years, Beijing has escalated tensions with Taiwan:
The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 establishes the United States’ commitment to a democratic Taiwan. Anything short of a peaceful means of determining Taiwan’s future is a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.
Why is Taiwan so important to China?
China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be forcibly annexed if necessary. In fact, its military development in recent years has been largely geared towards that mission.
Possible shows of force
Beijing opposes any official contact between Taipei and Washington and routinely threatens retaliation. In 1995, China launched military exercises and fired missiles into waters near Taiwan in response to a visit by then-Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to the United States, but since then its military capabilities have advanced greatly.
On August 1, the Chinese military released a martial-sounding video online showing soldiers shouting readiness to attack, as well as fighter jets taking off. In addition, China threatened to shoot down Pelosi’s US government plane, something experts said was unlikely to happen.
However, his response is unpredictable now that threatening military exercises and raids by ships and planes are seen as potential scenarios, which would put the entire region on edge.
According to the White House, China “appears to be positioning itself” for a show of military force around Taiwan, which would include missile attacks or “significant air raids”, although most analysts are considering the possibility of an armed conflict between the two. major economic powers in the world.
Source: Okchicas
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