US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Taiwan on Friday, pledged US solidarity and said the Asian tour that led to unprecedented military exercises by angry China was never intended to change the regional status quo.
Pelosi and a congressional delegation were in Japan on the final leg of their Asia tour, which included a short and unannounced stop in Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing considers its territory, and encouraged China to conduct live fire drills in the waters. Taiwan hit Japan’s exclusive economic zone with five missiles.
The highest-profile visit by a US official in 25 years as Japan, one of Washington’s closest allies, is increasingly concerned by China’s growing power in the Indonesian Pacific and the possibility of Beijing launching military action against Taiwan. The stop in Taiwan has arrived.
“We have said from the beginning that our representation here is not aimed at changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region,” he said at a press conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“The Chinese government is not happy with our strong friendship with Taiwan,” he said.
There is overwhelming bipartisan support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan in the House and Senate.”
China condemned Pelosi’s trip, which took the delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, as well as Taiwan and Japan.
The military exercises, which began on Thursday, a day after Pelosi’s departure from Taiwan and are expected to end on Sunday, will be China’s largest ever in the Taiwan Strait, according to Chinese state broadcasters. The exercises involved real ammunition in the waters and airspace around the island.
source: Noticias
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