Chinese diplomat slams Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan visit
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The news comes as Ms Pelosi becomes the highest-ranking official in years to attend the island, in spite of an open and frank warning from China requesting her not to go. China has since stated it will conduct live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Straits, and has stated there will be long-term consequences over the trip.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also delivered a show of force with the flight of several fighter aircraft and ships in near the island, effectively blocking off sea and airspace.
Now, the people of the island have shared their first impressions of the visit, painting a less than welcoming picture for Ms Pelosi and future Sino-American relations.
Speaking to the Daily Beast, one Taiwanese resident, Yang Chien-Hao said: “The biggest sacrifice she can make for Taiwan is if she skips the visit.”
Many of the island’s 23.5 million people, said Yang, “are saying that she is causing trouble” while many more “do not care much about it”.
They were inclined to shrug it off while obsessed with “domestic issues that are much bigger and attracting more attention than Pelosi’s visit”.
Others however were more supportive of the visit and said China should take heed of Taiwan’s request for independence.
One resident said: “If a visit causes that big a risk, then the problem is on China, not her.
“China should listen and understand Taiwan more before trying to unify us.”
China has long argued that Taiwan remains part of its territory under the “One China Policy”, something the US respects, but has clearly ignored over the island.
Speaking of the relationship between Taiwan and the US, the House Speaker said ties would remain “ironclad” in the future.
Discussing her visit with Taiwanese deputy speaker, Tsai Chi-chang, Ms Pelosi said: “We reiterated our ironclad support for Taiwan’s democracy, including on matters of security & stability, economic growth and governance.
“We also spoke virtually with Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun and wished him a speedy recovery.”
Yet the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken out publically about the trip for the first time since Ms Pelosi’s aircraft touched down on the island last night.
Mr Wang said: “Such blatant political provocation aroused the strong indignation of the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.
“This once again proves that some US politicians have become ‘troublemakers’ in China-US relations, and the US has become the ‘biggest destroyer’ of peace and regional stability in the Taiwan Straits.
“No matter in what way the US supports and condones ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionists, it will be doomed to fail, and it will only leave uglier records of the US grossly interfering in other countries internal affairs.”
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There has already been some diplomatic fallout surrounding the visit
China’s Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns to protest against Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan island, stressing that the nature of Ms Pelosi’s visit is “extremely vicious and the consequences are very grave”.
Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang also lodged solemn representations and strong protests with the US National Security Council and the Department of State over Pelosi’s visit.
On an economic front, China has ceased some trade with Taiwan as a consequence of the visit.
The curbs include the suspension of some fruits and fish imports from Taiwan and exports of natural sand to the island.
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China is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth £225 billion last year, accounting for 33 percent of the island’s total trade with the rest of the world, according to the Taiwanese government.
Concerns are also being raised over China’s strong influence over Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, especially as global shortages of the vital component have seen supply chains across the world suffer as a result.
US President Joe Biden stopped short of blocking Ms Pelosi’s visit to the island but did state the US military had advised the timing was not right and did not recommend the visit go ahead.
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