Nancy Pelosi’s Asia Tour

By
Zubeda Anjum Niazi
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Nancy Pelosi, the American Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi, the American Speaker of the House

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached Singapore, kicking off her Asian tour as questions swirled over a likely stop in Taiwan, fueling tensions with Beijing. Trade, the pandemic, as well as climate change, are some of the topics on her agenda.

She is leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region. According to her tweet, her visit is aimed at reaffirming “America’s unshakeable commitment to our allies & friends in the region.”

She shared that “in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea & Japan, we’ll hold high-level meetings to discuss how we can further our shared interests & values.”

It was reported earlier that the US House Speaker might visit Taiwan. However, she started her Asia trip on Friday with a “tentative” itinerary for Taiwan island.

In response to a question at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China pertaining to the visit, Chinese Spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that “A visit to Taiwan by Speaker Pelosi would challenge China’s red line, and any challenge to our red line will no doubt be met with resolute countermeasures.”

Lin Jing, the Chinese Consul General in Cape Town also shared in a tweet that “If Pelosi visits the island, Biden administration will have to face declining credibility and endure unprecedented and unbearable diplomatic and military consequences.”

Hua Chunying, the Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Twitter that the  Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi while attending the recent SCO CFM in Tashkent enunciated that “political manipulation of Xinjiang-related issues aim at undermining Xinjiang’s prosperity & stability and containing China’s growth.”

She also shared on Twitter regarding the possible visit of the US Official to Taiwan Island that “Some must-knows for certain people in the US on the question of Taiwan.”

In the Tweet, she shared about the Joint Communique of 1978 between the US and China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations was signed when the then US President Jimmy Carter ended ties with Taiwan.

Aside from official recognition, the communiqué reiterates the principles agreed upon in the Shanghai Communiqué.

Moreover, the Secretary of State of the US, Antony Blinken also stated that “Our approach has been consistent across decades and administrations. As the President of the US has said, our policy has not changed. The United States remains committed to our One China policy.”

A few days back the President of China, Xi Jinping, and the President of the United States, Joe Biden communicated through a phone call in which “the two Presidents had a candid communication and exchange on China-US relations and issues of mutual interest.”

President Biden also shared that he “spoke with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest.”

However, despite all these overtures and statements, Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan is a total contradiction to the official US position on the issue. Consequently, in response, a string of warnings have been made by China.

One such warning was given by the Institute of Taiwan Studies in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – the highest-level think tank. The institute organized a discussion with analysts about the damage of Pelosi’s potential Taiwan island visit to the China-US ties, regional and global peace, cross-Straits stability, and China’s countermeasures.

Zhang Meifang, the Chinese Consul General in Belfast communicated the remarks of experts on Twitter that “all options, including military ones, are already on the table. It’s crucial to accurately understand China’s remarks and avoid misunderstandings.”

Li Xiaosi, the Chinese Ambassador to Austria also reiterated on Twitter that “the one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

When the one-China principle is fully recognized & earnestly followed, the Strait would remain calm and tranquil. Otherwise, there would be dark clouds or even violent storms across the Strait.

During a press conference, the Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman, Tan Kefei responded to a question regarding US House Speaker Pelosi’s planned visit to Taiwan.

He reiterated that the “Chinese side has made clear its resolute opposition on many occasions. As the “number three person” of the US Government, if Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, she will seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three Sino-US joint communique, seriously endanger China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations, and inevitably cause extremely serious damage to sino-US relations between the two militaries, leading to further escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait.”

He went on to state that “the Chinese side demands that the US side fulfill its commitment not to support ‘Taiwan independence’ with practical actions and not arrange for Pelosi to visit Taiwan. If the US side insists on going its own way, the Chinese military will never sit idly by and will certainly take strong measures to thwart any interference by external forces and ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist plots, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Hua Chunying also further shared on Twitter;

However, presently it seems that the disaster has been averted as the Asia visit itinerary of the US Speaker of the House leaves out mention of a possible stop in Taiwan.

This is a developing story. For the latest details keep checking our website.