Nancy Pelosi PICTURED in Taiwan as she sends defiant message to Xi: ‘You have a choice!’

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The Speaker of the US House of Representatives arrived in Taipei despite Beijing repeatedly warning against the trip to Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Ms Pelosi and her delegation disembarked from a US Air Force transport plane at Songshan Airport in downtown Taipei and were greeted by Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, and Sandra Oudkirk, the top US representative in Taiwan.

At her arrival, Ms Pelosi stated: “Our Congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy.

“Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific — including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan — focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance.

“Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.

“Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan – and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo.”

Pelosi was on a tour of Asia that includes announced visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

This visit is the first official visit to Taiwan by a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 25 years.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own, and a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier this week that any visit by Pelosi would be “a gross interference in China’s internal affairs” and warned that “the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never sit idly by.”

China’s foreign ministry condemned Pelosi’s visit to China, saying it seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

In a statement issued just after her arrival in Taipei late on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said Pelosi’s visit severely impacts the political foundations of China-US relations, and said it had lodged a strong protest with the United States.

The United States said on Monday it would not be intimidated by what it called Chinese “sabre-rattling”.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had no comment on reports of Pelosi’s travel plans, while her office had also kept silent.

On Tuesday night, Taiwan’s tallest building, Taipei 101, lit up with messages including: “Welcome to Taiwan”, “Speaker Pelosi”, “Taiwan (heart) USA”.

With tensions already high, several Chinese warplanes flew close to the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday morning, a source told Reuters.

Several Chinese warships have also sailed near the unofficial dividing line since Monday, the source said.

The source said both Chinese warships and aircraft “squeezed” the median line, an unusual move the person described as “very provocative.”

The Chinese aircraft repeatedly conducted tactical moves of briefly “touching” the median line and circling back to the other side of the strait while Taiwanese aircraft were on standby nearby, the person said.

The Chinese planes left the area in the afternoon but the ships remained, they said.

Neither side’s aircraft normally cross the median line.

More to follow…

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