US and Nancy Pelosi endorse Taiwan; China responds with mega air drills
China fumes as United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi disregarded its stern warnings and lands in Taiwan. Beijing has warned that Americans will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests
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FollowUnited States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan capital Taipei on Tuesday, disregarding Beijing's stern warnings, triggering air and ground movement of troops in the Taiwan Straits.
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On her arrival, Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said that America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.
In her arrival statement, Pelosi said that her delegation's discussions with Taiwan leadership would focus on reaffirming United States support for its partner and on promoting shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan – and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, US-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," she said.
China responds to "provocation"
Fuming over Pelosi's visit, Beijing responded by announcing that the People's Liberation Army would be holding military exercises in six regions around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.
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A PLA spokesperson said that Eastern Theater Command would hold joint military operations around Taiwan, with joint maritime and air drills in the north, southwest, and southeast of the island, long-range artillery shooting in Taiwan Straits and conventional missile test firing in sea regions east of island starting Tuesday night.
China's official mouthpiece, Global Times, put out a Twitter post citing the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in which it said: "No matter how people like Pelosi act to support Taiwan island and contain China, they cannot stop China's reunification process. Reunification must and will be achieved."
Assistant Foreign Minister and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "If the US insists on following the wrong course of action, then it should be responsible for any serious consequence arising thereof."
Meanwhile, Chinese official social media reported large-scale military movements in the Taiwan Straits. A Twitter post by China Daily said that the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command was on high alert and will "engage the enemy on orders".
She further said that the Americans would bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests. Asserting that Beijing would take strong measures in response to Pelosi's visit, Chunying said that any countermeasures from the Chinese side would be justified and necessary, which is also the right of any independent and sovereign country.
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