Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia.
This was reported on August 1 by CNN, citing sources in the leadership of Taiwan and the United States.
Pelosi intends to fly to the island despite the White House’s reservations. According to one CNN source, he plans to stay in Taiwan for one night.
When this will happen is unclear. The latest news from Taiwan is this: Pelosi is in Singapore.
Officially, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea are announced in the program of Pelosi’s Asian tour.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is strongly opposed by China, which considers the island its territory. Calls circulated on Chinese social media to shoot down Pelosi’s jet if it ended up in Taiwanese airspace. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a conversation with US President Joe Biden, urged Washington “not to play with fire.”
Pelosi could become the first speaker of the House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
Meanwhile, Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defense zone. Taiwan deployed anti-aircraft missile systems in response. On Monday, August 1, in Taiwan, aircraft of the Chinese army were recorded in the identification zone of air defense equipment. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan.
Background
On July 30, China announced it was holding “live-fire” military exercises near Taiwan.
The exercise will take place amidst anticipation of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. She could be the first senior American official to visit the island in 25 years.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that if the speaker visits Taiwan, China is ready to stop dialogue with the United States at the highest level.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that in the event of a visit by Pelosi to Taiwan, China would be forced to use “decisive forceful measures.”
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a state recognized by 17 countries. Before being defeated by the communist regime of Mao Zedong in the civil war, it controlled the entire territory of China.
Since 1949, it has controlled only Taiwan and a few small islands. The PRC considers Taiwan its province and declares its desire for “peaceful reunification”. Taiwan says it is ready to offer armed resistance in the event of an invasion.
Taiwan’s independence from China is supported by the United States and other Western countries. Ukraine de jure considers Taiwan to be part of China.
Source: Racurs
