Status: 08/10/2022 10:10 p.m
For China, Taiwan is considered part of its own territory. US Democrat Pelosi’s trip there was an affront to the government in Beijing. Pelosi has now sworn her visit against any criticism.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has defended her controversial visit to Taiwan. “We will not allow China to isolate Taiwan,” the Democratic politician said in Washington. For example, the People’s Republic is preventing Taiwan from becoming a member of the World Health Organization. “But they don’t stop us from going to Taiwan,” Pelosi said.
There was criticism of the politician’s trip at the beginning of the month, especially from China – but also from other countries. Referring to the US military’s assessment of the visit, Pelosi said, “I don’t remember them ever telling us not to travel.”
Pelosi: Don’t accept China’s Taiwan strategy
In response to the US politician’s visit to Taiwan, China had been conducting large-scale military exercises around the democratic island republic for the past week and also practiced a conquest.
From Pelosi’s point of view, the US could not allow China’s increased pressure on Taiwan. China is trying to create a new kind of normality, she said, referring to announcements by the government in Beijing that controversial maneuvers around Taiwan will continue in the future. “We just can’t let that happen,” Pelosi said.
Travel for China violation of sovereignty
The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts from other countries to Taiwan because they see the island as part of the People’s Republic. On the other hand, Taiwan has long seen itself as independent. China saw Pelosi’s visit as a provocation and a violation of its own sovereignty. “We went there to show our friendship and to demonstrate that China cannot isolate Taiwan,” Pelosi said. When asked about the sanctions announced by China against Pelosi and her families, she said, “Who cares?”
Pelosi – by protocol number three in the US – had been the highest-ranking US politician in Taiwan for a quarter of a century. Before the trip, US President Joe Biden said when asked about Pelosi’s plans: “I don’t think the military thinks it’s a good idea at the moment.”