Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) United States of America Nancy Pelosi arrived in the capital TaiwanTaipei, Tuesday (2/8).
His presence marks significant support for Taiwan despite threats of retaliation from China for the visit.
A Taiwanese official said to CNN that Pelosi was expected to stay in Taipei overnight.
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Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan was not on the schedule for her congressional visit to Asia, but the stop had been discussed in the weeks leading up to her trip.
Pelosi’s presence further infuriated China. The Bamboo Curtain country under Xi Jinping’s government could go berserk with the arrival of one of the senior US politicians.
China has repeatedly threatened Taiwan and the US if Pelosi actually visited the region.
President Xi Jinping even publicly warned President Joe Biden out of anger over Pelosi’s planned trip: “The United States must not play with fire if you don’t want to get burned.”
Xi’s bluff did not make the US change its stance and continue to support Taiwan.
“Regarding Taiwan, President Biden stressed that United States policy has not changed,” the US government said in a statement.
They later said, “The US vehemently rejects any unilateral attempt to change the status quo or undermine the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
The US even through White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said China did not need to make Pelosi’s visit a crisis that could undermine stability and security in the region.
“The chairman of the House of Representatives has the right to visit Taiwan. There is no reason for Beijing to turn this potential visit under longstanding US policy into a kind of crisis,” Kirby told reporters. AFP.
The US is also reported to have deployed four warships including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in connection with reports of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
(tim / bac)
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