Pelosi in Taiwan latest updates: China vows ‘forceful’ response
Updates from August 3: US House speaker assures Taiwan’s president of ‘unwavering support’ as China announces military drills and trade bans on the self-ruled island.
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after a one-day visit that has infuriated China.
- During her short trip, Pelosi met President Tsai Ing-wen and members of Taiwan’s parliament, assuring them of continued US support for the self-ruled island.
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after a one-day visit that has infuriated China.
- During her short trip, Pelosi met President Tsai Ing-wen and members of Taiwan’s parliament, assuring them of continued US support for the self-ruled island.
- China, which claims Taiwan as its own, has announced “targeted military operations” and live-fire drills around the island in response.
- Tsai has slammed the drills as “unnecessary”, while Japan has expressed concern saying the areas to be used for the exercises overlap with its exclusive economic zone.
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Pelosi leaves Taiwan
The US House speaker has left Taiwan on an American Air Force jet and is on her way to neighbouring South Korea.
Tweeting shortly before her departure, Pelosi said: “Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan – now and for decades to come.”
It was also my high honor to receive from President @iingwen of Taiwan the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon: a symbol of our treasured friendship. Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan– now & for decades to come. pic.twitter.com/yFcVQil4TT
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
‘Those who offend China will be punished’: Wang Yi
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called Pelosi’s visit an “out-and-out farce”, and accused the US of violating his country’s “sovereignty under the guise of so-called ‘democracy’.”
Speaking to reporters during an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia earlier in the day, Wang pledged a strong response against Taiwan and the US.
“Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and her ilk are clinging to the US and turning their backs on national justice. These behaviours that go against the trend of times will not change the international consensus of one-China and will not change the historic trend that Taiwan will inevitably return to the motherland,” he said.
“Those who play with fire will not come to a good end, and those who offend China will be punished.”
Taiwan will bear cost of Pelosi’s visit for long time to come: Analyst
Divya Gopalan, the international editor of Taiwan Plus, a Taiwanese media outlet, says Pelosi’s visit may turn out to be a costly one for Taipei.
“It was a short trip for Pelosi, but Taiwan will have to deal with the consequences of her visit for a long time to come. On the one hand, it’s given Taiwan what it wants – international recognition and attention. Taiwan’s been in all the headlines, all the news stations have been covering Taiwan, watching it very closely. Taiwan has also seen an outpouring of support by other democracies at this point,” she told Al Jazeera from Taipei.
“But at the same time, what’s the cost? China has warned against Pelosi’s visit and said very clearly that this should not go ahead. It has announced military exercises that are almost unprecedented in the way that they will be carried out. And along with the military threats, China has also launched economic measures, banning hundreds of products from Taiwan, banning companies from Taiwan at a time when the island is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and needs that helping hand.”
Pelosi has arrived at the Taipei Songshan Airport and is about to leave the Taiwanese capital. She is heading to South Korea’s Seoul next.
China says its military drills are ‘necessary and just’
China has defended its military drills in the Taiwan Strait and pledged continued “resolute, forceful and effective” countermeasures against the US and Taiwan over Pelosi’s visit.
“The Chinese military’s conducting of military exercises in the sea near China’s Taiwan are a necessary and just measure to resolutely protect national sovereignty,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing.
“In the current struggle surrounding Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim. The joint provocation by the US and Taiwan came first, China’s just defence came after,” she added.
Taiwan asks ships to find alternative routes
Port authorities in Taiwan are asking ships to find alternative routes and avoid areas of China’s announced drills around the island.
The Maritime and Port Bureau said in a notice that ships going in and out of the seven major harbours across Taiwan including Taipei harbour should be aware of the drills, which are expected to run from noon on August 4 to noon on August 7.
EU urges dialogue to reduce risks
The European Union has called for tensions over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan to be resolved through dialogue and for communication channels with China to be kept open to avoid miscalculation.
“The EU has an interest in preserving peace and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” a spokesperson for the 27-nation bloc said.
“We encourage a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Tensions should be resolved through dialogue. Appropriate channels of communication should be maintained to reduce risks of miscalculation.”
The European Commission spoksesperson said the EU had “a clear One China Policy”, recognising the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China while also pursuing “friendly relations and close cooperation with Taiwan”.
Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in photos
Taiwan negotiates alternative aviation routes with Japan, Philippines
Taiwan is negotiating with neighbouring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reports, after China announced drills that the trade-reliant island said amounted to a “blockade”.
Citing Transport Minister Wang Kwo-tsai, CNA said there is no need for Taiwan to find alternatives for sea transport because ships can avoid Chinese drill zones.
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Chinese drills amount to sea, air blockade on Taiwan: Official
Taiwan’s defence ministry has decried the military exercises China is carrying out in response to Pelosi’s visit, saying they amount to a sea and air blockade on the island.
“Part of China’s live-fire drills in the sea and air territories of Taiwan have partially infringed the Republic of China’s territorial seas and neighbouring regions. This has endangered international routes,” said Sun Li-fang, spokesman for Taiwan’s defence ministry.
“These are unreasonable actions that challenge international orders, jeopardise the status quo over the Taiwan Strait and threaten regional security.”
He added that military exercises China is planning to carry out in six areas around Taiwan from August 4 to August 7 are “equal to sea and air blockades” as they cover its land and sea territory.
“It has severely infringed our country’s territorial sovereignty and violated the regulations related with the United Nations’ maritime conventions. Our country is severely condemning such act.”
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will launch a series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island starting from Tuesday night https://t.co/2z7WqDZqR1 pic.twitter.com/iIE1WApW52
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 2, 2022
Pelosi trip set to dominate ASEAN meeting
Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian nations will seek ways to help quell the diplomatic storm over Taiwan during an ongoing meeting in the Cambodian capital.
Kung Phoak, spokesman for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the ministers would try to find ways the bloc could help “so that the situation in Taiwan will be stable, that won’t lead to a conflict and won’t escalate the political heat between all concerned parties”.
Russia’s Lavrov says Pelosi’s visit creating an annoyance
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov says Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was a deliberate attempt by the US to irritate China.
“I see no other reason to create such an annoyance almost out of the blue, knowing very well what it means for the People’s Republic of China,” Lavrov said during a visit to Myanmar.
North Korea denounces Pelosi visit
North Korea has criticised Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, calling it an “impudent interference” by the US in China’s internal affairs.
A spokesperson for the North Korean foreign ministry said Taiwan was an “inseparable part of China” and “we vehemently denounce any external force’s interference in the issue of Taiwan, and fully support the Chinese government’s just stand to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and territorial integrity”.
The spokesperson added: “The current situation clearly shows that the impudent interference of the US in internal affairs of other countries and its intentional political and military provocations are, indeed, the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region.”
‘We don’t want anything to happen to Taiwan by force’: Pelosi
The US House speaker says Washington supports the status quo in the Taiwan Straits and does not want anything to happen to Taiwan by force.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Taiwan’s president in Taipei, Pelosi said she and members of the US Congress were visiting the island to send the unequivocal message that “America stands with Taiwan”.
“We are supporters of the status quo,” she said. “We don’t want anything to happen to Taiwan by force.”
Pelosi also said the US wants Taiwan to have freedom with security and will not back away from that. She added that while China has “stood in the way of Taiwan participating in and going to certain meetings”, it should understand that it cannot stand in the way of “people coming to Taiwan as a show of friendship”.
South Korea calls for calm
South Korea has called for dialogue to maintain regional peace and stability as tensions between the US and China soared over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
“Our government’s stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation,” an official from the South Korean presidential office told reporters in response to questions about Pelosi’s visit.
Pelosi is expected to visit South Korea after Taiwan and is due in Seoul late on Wednesday.
Tsai slams China’s ‘unnecessary’ military drills
Taiwan’s president has criticised China’s military drills as “unnecessary” as she addressed reporters following her talks with Pelosi.
“I’ve told Speaker Pelosi that we are committed to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” she said during a joint news conference.
“Taiwanese people are pragmatic. We have welcomed many congressional delegations to Taiwan over the years, and a normal practice of friends visiting each other is inherent in our culture of hospitality.
“Military exercises are unnecessary responses.”
Tsai also thanked the US congressional delegation for its visit under “such challenging circumstances”.
Japan expresses concern over China drills
Japan has expressed concern to China over its military drills in waters around Taiwan, according to a government spokesperson.
“The maritime areas announced by the Chinese side as those to be used for military exercises … overlaps with Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Considering the live-fire training nature of this military activity, Japan has expressed concerns to the Chinese side,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters in Tokyo.
Pelosi says US will not abandon Taiwan
The US House Speaker has assured Taiwan of Washington’s continued support during a meeting with the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen.
Pelosi said the US “made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan” when legislators passed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, a law that obliges Washington to help the island defend itself.
“Today our delegation came to Taiwan to make it unequivocally clear that we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” she said. “Now, more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is crucial and that is the message we are bringing here.”
Chinese military drills ‘threaten Taiwan ports, urban areas’
Taiwan’s defence ministry says planned Chinese live-fire military drills near the island threaten its key ports and urban areas and is pledging “strengthened” defences and a resolute response as cross-strait tensions soar.
“The defence ministry has closely monitored and strengthened preparations, and will respond appropriately in due time,” the ministry said.
“The military will definitely stick to its posts and protect national security. We ask the public to rest assured and support the military.”
The drill is “an attempt to threaten our important ports and urban areas, and unilaterally undermine regional peace and stability,” it added.
“This move will not help China’s international image.”
Tsai says Taiwan will not back down despite military threats
In an address at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made security in the Taiwan Strait another focus of global attention and that any aggressions against the island will have a “tremendous impact on the security of the entire Indo-Pacific”.
She said Taiwan was following three principles in facing the uncertainty.
“First, facing deliberately high military threats, Taiwan will not back down,” she said. “We will firmly uphold our nation’s sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defence for democracy. At the same time, we wish to cooperate and work in unity with all democracies around the world to jointly safeguard democratic values.”
Second, Taiwan will do “whatever it takes” to strengthen its self-defence capabilities and third, it will boost ties with the US, including in Indo-Pacific security, economic development and supply chains, she said.
Tsai thanks Pelosi for ‘unwavering support’
Taiwan’s president has expressed her gratitude to Pelosi for her “unwavering support” for Taiwan, calling the US House Speaker one of the island’s most devoted friends.
“Thank you for taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment and for expressing the US’s consistent policy supporting Taiwan’s self-defence,” Tsai said.
Tsai has presented Pelosi with the “Special Grand Shouqing Yun Medal” in recognition of her longstanding support for Taiwan and her outstanding contributions to enhancing exchanges between Washington and Taipei, according to state media.
China’s sand export ban hurts Taiwan: Analyst
Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at Natixis in Hong Kong, says China’s decision to suspend fruit and fish imports would have a negligible impact on Taiwan’s economy, but the ban on sand exports could have a significant effect as construction has become an important source of growth during the pandemic.
“There have been shortages of sand and gravel for some time in Taiwan,” Garcia-Herrero told Al Jazeera.
“I would not say it is a key export from China but it does hurt Taiwan.”
Read more here.
Pelosi meets Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen
Pelosi is meeting Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei.
Pelosi has addressed Taiwan’s parliament, saying the US commends the self-governed island for being “one of the freest societies in the world”.