Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on Wednesday that she had arrived in Taiwan “peacefully” after her visit sparked anger in Beijing, which announced a series of military exercises around the island. “We came to Taiwan as friends, we came to the region in peace,” Pelosi, the highest US official who has visited Taiwan for 25 years, said in a meeting with Taiwan’s deputy speaker of parliament, Tsai Chichange. said.
Pelosi, 82, arrived in Taipei on a US military plane on Tuesday night. His visit, which has not been officially announced but has been the subject of intense speculation for days, caused a sudden reaction in Beijing. With Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned a “serious violation” of US commitments to China, which “seriously undermines regional peace and stability”.
The Chinese government summoned Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to Beijing, on Tuesday night. Xie Feng, China’s Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed his country’s “strong protests” over the presence of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, saying that the “initiative” [de Pelosi] “Visiting Taiwan will be extremely shocking and the consequences will be very serious,” he said. New China.
“Those who offend China will inevitably need to be punished,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned on Wednesday. Attending the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Phnom Penh, the minister said, “This is pure and simple shenanigans. Under the pretext of democracy, the US is violating China’s sovereignty.”
Taiwan “will not back down”
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Defense has promised “targeted military actions” with a series of military maneuvers around the island from Wednesday, including the “firing of long-range live munitions” into the Taiwan Strait that separates the mainland Chinese island.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that the island “will not retreat” in the face of China’s threat.
Taiwanese officials reported that in one night from Tuesday to Wednesday, 21 Chinese military aircraft entered the air defense identification zone, an area much larger than the island’s airspace. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said it was “determined” to protect the island from any attack. According to US military sources, several US ships are also passing through the area, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
Japan said on Wednesday it is “concerned” about the “targeted military actions” promised by Beijing, some of which will take place in the Japanese exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are important not only for the security of our country, but also for international stability,” said Hirokazu Matsuno, spokesperson for the Japanese government. Said. “Japan’s consistent position has always been to expect Taiwan’s problems to be resolved peacefully through dialogue.”
Dialogue
South Korea also called for dialogue between the parties on Wednesday to maintain peace and stability in the region. “Our government’s position is to maintain close communication with interested parties. […] “Considering the importance of peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation,” an official from the presidential office told the media. Pelosi will travel to Seoul this Wednesday as part of her Asia tour.
China’s major ally Russia on Tuesday accused the Americans of “destabilizing the world” and described Nancy Pelosi’s visit as “pure provocation”. “The Chinese side has the right to take the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to the Taiwan issue,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Said.
North Korea, another Beijing ally, has expressed its “full support”. A spokesman for the Northern State Department said: “The brazen US intervention in the internal affairs of other countries and deliberate political and military provocations are undoubtedly the main cause of the deterioration of peace and security in the region.” by official institution KKNA.
trade sanctions
Reactions from China also came quickly to trade relations. China announced on Wednesday that it is suspending imports of citrus and some fish from Taiwan, as well as sand exports to the island.
Beijing claims it has “repeatedly” detected one type of harmful parasite in citrus fruits and recorded an excess of pesticides. The coronavirus test was also positive in packages containing two types of fish. However, no explanation was given for the suspension of sand exports to Taiwan.
This is not the first time Beijing has targeted trade with other countries or Taiwan in this way. “This is a classic model for Beijing,” says Even Pay, an agriculture analyst at Trivium China.
“When diplomatic and trade tensions are high, Chinese regulators are often extremely strict in enforcing the rules, seeking any reason to justify a trade ban,” he adds.
(with information from AFP)
source: Noticias
[author_name]
