House Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted America’s “ironclad” commitment to the security of Taiwan as she departed the island on Wednesday after meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
The visit inflamed tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. China views trips by foreign government officials to Taiwan as an acknowledgment of the island’s sovereignty and has warned the trip will have an “egregious political impact.”
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region was a "complete farce," and "those who play with fire will perish by it, and those who offend China will be punished" at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/3nREnVZ8r6
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) August 3, 2022
Pelosi’s trip makes her the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. and Taiwan can expect consequences for the visit.
“As for the specific countermeasures, what I can tell you is that they’ll include everything that should be included,” Hua said, according to People’s Daily. “The measures in question will be firm, vigorous and effective, and the U.S. side and Taiwan independence forces will continue feeling them.”
China’s military is planning to carry out a number of live-fire drills beginning Thursday just ten miles from Taiwan’s coast, within Taiwan’s self-described territorial waters. The drills would take place closer than tests China performed during a standoff 26 years ago, the New York Times reported.
Pelosi told reporters on Wednesday that her visit was to ensure the country’s security and its ability to defend itself from China.
A pleasure to meet with @SpeakerPelosi & recognise her longstanding support for #Taiwan. Your visit not only reflects strong #US congressional support for bilateral ties – it also sends a message to the world that democracies stand together in the face of common challenges. pic.twitter.com/Qu0qud3106
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 3, 2022
“I do think that the it’s really important for the message to be clear that in the Congress, House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans are committed to the security of Taiwan in order to have Taiwan be able to most effectively defend themselves,” Pelosi told reporters. “What matters to us is that we salute the successes of Taiwan. We work together for the security of Taiwan.”
Pelosi said another goal was “to show the world the success of the people of Taiwan, their courage to change their own country to become more democratic.”
The House speaker defended her trip upon arrival on Tuesday, saying in a statement: “Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan — and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy.”
“Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” Pelosi said. “America’s determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad.”
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the U.S. does not “support Taiwan independence.”
“Nothing has changed about our ‘One China Policy,’” Kirby said. “We have repeatedly said that we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We have said that we do not support Taiwan independence, and we have said that we expect cross-straight differences to be resolved by peaceful means.”
Kirby said Monday that the House speaker can make her own decisions about the trip saying, “Congress is an independent branch of government.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese military posted a video Monday showing its forces conducting exercises with warships and fighter planes and launching missiles into the sky. The Chinese foreign minister issued a threat on Monday ahead of Pelosi’s reported trip, saying the Chinese military will “never sit idly by” if Pelosi flies to Taiwan.
“China appears to be positioning itself to potentially take further steps in the coming days and, perhaps, over longer time horizons,” Kirby said, suggesting that potential steps could include military provocations, “operations that break historical norms,” air or naval activities, and military exercises.
President Biden on Thursday affirmed that the U.S. stands firmly behind its “One China Policy.”
Twenty-six Senate Republicans, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), signed a statement in support of Pelosi’s trip on Tuesday.
“We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan,” the lawmakers said. “For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have travelled to Taiwan. This travel is consistent with the United States’ One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act.”
Pelosi, who met with human rights leaders and toured a human rights museum during her visit to Taipei, headed to South Korea on Wednesday.