Status: 07/31/2022 12:47 p.m
The US Democrat Pelosi is setting off on her trip to Asia – whether she will also visit Taiwan remains open to her. China regards a visit to the island as a provocation and is holding military maneuvers nearby.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has left open whether she will also visit Taiwan on her trip to Asia. On the other hand, visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan were confirmed.
“Today, our congressional delegation travels to the Indo-Pacific region to reaffirm America’s strong and unwavering commitment to our allies and friends in the region,” Pelosi said. The focus is on “mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Pelosi, 82, is number three in the US, behind President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. On her trip she will be accompanied by congressmen from the Democrats.
reason for even greater tensions
The possibility of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is increasing tensions between the US and China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunited with the heartland. To underscore this claim, China is currently holding military exercises in Fujian Province, which is directly across from Taiwan.
military maneuvers and aircraft carriers
The Chinese military tried to increase the pressure. The Air Force flew patrols near Taiwan. A spokesman told a party newspaper that the Chinese Air Force has the will and ability to defend China’s “national sovereignty”. The United States, on the other hand, relocated an aircraft carrier group to the South China Sea, but described this as a “routine patrol” that had been planned for some time.
China’s leadership perceives visits by foreign politicians to Taiwan as a provocation. The last visit by a US House of Representatives was in 1997. Beijing has threatened serious consequences if Democrat Pelosi visits Taiwan. In a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, head of state and party leader Xi Jinping warned his counterpart: “Those who play with fire will perish.”