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Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan despite China’s ‘warning’, Beijing plans military ops

August 2, 2022
Bharat Times

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, raising tensions between the US and China over the island that China claims as its own. The whole world was hooked onto a flight tracking site as US plane SPAR19 departed for Taipei from Malaysia on Tuesday evening.

When the much-anticipated landing finally happened, Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in over 25 years. On the day of her visit, at least 21 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence zone. Here are the top points.

1) In her first statement upon arrival, Nancy Pelosi reiterated that the US delegation’s visit to Taiwan is in no way contradictory to the longstanding US policy on Taiwan. Pelosi said her visit honours US commitment to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy and opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo, without naming China.

2) China strongly condemned Pelosi’s visit and said her trip to the island violates the ‘one China’ principle. Beijing also asked the US to stop playing the ‘Taiwan card’.

“China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US Speaker’s visit. All the consequences must be borne by the US and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

3) China has also put its military on high alert and vowed a series of ‘targeted military actions’ as countermeasures to Nancy Pelosi’s visit, according to Chinese media reports. It will conduct ‘important’ military exercises and training activities, including live-fire drills in six regions surrounding Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.

READ | China plans ‘targeted military operations’ after Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan

4) However, the most interesting thing about Pelosi’s journey to Taiwan was that the US plane, with a delegation onboard, avoided the South China Sea and took a longer route to arrive in Taipei.

According to FlightRadar24, SPAR19 had flown over Indonesia and turned north, towards Taiwan, avoiding the contested South China Sea region, which China claims as its own.

5) When the US plane carrying Pelosi entered Taiwan’s air defence zone, Taiwan fighter jets provided escort to the US politician. At the same time, there were reports that Chinese jets had crossed the Taiwan Strait.

However, Taiwan’s defense ministry said Chinese state media reports about Su-35 fighter jets crossing the sensitive Taiwan Strait separating the island from China were false. The ministry said in a statement it had a full grasp of activities near Taiwan and would appropriately dispatch forces in reaction to “enemy threats.”

ALSO READ | Nancy Pelosi lands in Taipei, claims US’ support to Taiwan’s democracy

6) Earlier in the day, China had warned the US that it would have to pay the price for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

“The United States constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the ‘One China’ principle. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

7) Taiwan and China split in 1949 after the Communists won a civil war on the mainland. The US maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognises Beijing as the government of China.

8) The One China policy refers to a US policy on Taiwan. It “acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China” and “does not challenge that position.”

As tensions continue to simmer, it remains to be seen how Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will affect US-China relations.

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