Taiwan continued to defiant Wednesday after threats from China, which plans to hold military exercises near the island, in retaliation for the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday despite a series of threats from Beijing, which views the island as part of its territory and described the visit as a provocation.
Beijing said the trip would have consequences.
“This is pure comedy. The US is violating China’s sovereignty under the guise of so-called ‘democracy’… Those who insult China will be punished,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on the sidelines of a meeting. said. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh.
However, Taipei takes a defiant stance in the face of threatening speech.
“In the face of increasing and deliberate military threats, Taiwan will not back down (…) We will continue the line of defense of democracy,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said.
China is trying to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world and does not criticize countries that have official relations with the island.
Pelosi becomes the top American official to visit Taiwan 25 years later.
“Our delegation came to Taiwan to make it clear that we will not renounce our commitment to Taiwan and we are proud of our lasting friendship,” 82-year-old Pelosi said at an event with Taiwan’s president. Said.
On Tuesday night, the State Department summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns. According to the state-owned Xinhua news agency, Vice-Chancellor Xie Feng reported his country’s “violent protests” and called “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan”.
military exercises
At the same time, China’s defense ministry promised “selective military actions” with a series of military maneuvers around the island from Thursday, including “firing long-range live ammunition” into the Taiwan Strait that separates the island. from mainland China.
Hua Chunying, spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, said the military exercises were “a necessary and legitimate measure to respond to serious provocations by some American politicians and Taiwanese independents.”
Regarding Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the US is the provocateur, China is the victim. “The joint US-Taiwan provocation came first, China’s fair defense came later,” he said.
According to the coordinates published by the country’s military, at some points the Chinese operational zone will be less than 20 kilometers from the coast of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense responded that the exercises violated the island’s territorial waters.
“This is an irrational act that challenges the international order,” said ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang.
Japan has expressed concern about China’s maneuvers beyond the economic exclusion zone for Tokyo.
“Responsibility”
China’s Ministry of Commerce also announced economic sanctions, including the suspension of exports to Taiwan of natural sand, a key component of semiconductor manufacturing, one of the island’s main exports. Chinese customs also canceled fruit and some fish imports from Taiwan.
China and Taiwan have de facto separated since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s Communist troops defeated the Nationalists who took refuge on the island.
Washington acknowledged in 1979 that the Beijing government represented China, but continued military support to Taiwan.
The prospect of Pelosi visiting the island has heightened tensions between the superpowers last week.
“The United States will take responsibility and pay the price for undermining China’s sovereignty and security,” a Chinese diplomatic source said on Tuesday ahead of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
China’s “reunification” is a top priority for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who last week formally told US President Joe Biden to avoid “playing with fire” over the phone.
source: Noticias
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