US top politician
Pelosi defends Taiwan trip – and taunts China’s head of state
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives: “What the Chinese are doing now is what they always do”
© Eugene Hoshiko/AP/DPA
“Yes, it was worth it”: US top politician Nancy Pelosi has defended her visit to Taiwan despite the massive tensions with China. In her estimation, the head of state is in a “difficult situation”.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has defended her visit to Taiwan despite the massive tensions with China. “Yes, it was worth it,” said the 82-year-old, who traveled to Asia last week, in an interview with US broadcaster NBC on Tuesday.
“What the Chinese are doing now is what they always do,” she said, referring to new military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait. The Democrat said she received “overwhelming bipartisan support” for her visit.
Nancy Pelosi: China’s leader ‘acting like a fearful tyrant’
According to Pelosi, China’s head of state and government Xi Jinping is in a “difficult situation”. He has problems with his economy, and he also wants to be re-elected. “He acts like a fearful bully.”
The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts from other countries to Taiwan and sees visits like Pelosi’s as a provocation because it sees the island as part of the People’s Republic. On the other hand, Taiwan has long seen itself as independent. With its ongoing maneuvers since last week, the People’s Liberation Army is not only practicing a sea and air blockade, but also a possible conquest of the island.