American speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on Tuesday has opened a can of worms. Amid growing escalations, China has announced sanctions on Pelosi.
After Pelosi’s Asia-pacific tour ended, China imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her family members. The Chinses foreign ministry termed her visit as ‘vicious’ and ‘provocative’.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
Pelosi became the first high-ranking U.S official to visit the self-governing island of Taiwan on Tuesday. However, her visit was not welcomed by everyone, especially the Chinese authorities. Following her visit, China announced sanctions on her and her family members. “Despite China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan, seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs, undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, trampling on the one-China policy, and threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” said a ministry spokesperson.
Before the visit, China had warned Pelosi and the U.S officials several times. China’s spokesperson Zhao Lijian had said, “China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” China’s president, Xi Jinping had given the U.S a stern warning saying, “Those who play with fire will perish by it.”
The U.S has summoned China’s ambassador to the U.S Qin Gang
To condemn escalating actions in Taiwan and to reiterate that the U.S does not want a crisis in the region.
Before she landed in Taipei, Pelosi’s visit was shrouded in mystery as it was quite uncertain whether or not she would go ahead with it. Even U.S secretary of state Antony Blinken had said, “we do not know what Speaker Pelosi intends to do.” Ahead of her visit to the island nation, China had “urgently summoned” the U.S ambassador to protest her visit.
The sanctions as of now, are unspecified and anticipated to be symbolic.
Escalations in activities
As Pelosi’s visit went ahead, China responded with military action. It dispatched navy ships and warplanes. Nearly, 30 military ships and warplanes flew across the mid-line, which is the unofficial buffer zone between mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan gathered its jets to warn off the Chinese aircraft present in its air space.
China is also conducting military exercises in six zones off Taiwan’s coast. Moreover, China has suspended all dialogue with the U.S on climate change and anti-drug efforts as well.
As she finished off the last leg of her tour in Tokyo, Pelosi said, “They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there”. Adding further, she said, “We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan.” she reiterated, “It is about… all of the pieces of legislation and agreements that have established what our relationship is. To have peace in the Taiwan Strait and have the status quo prevail”
Pelosi was not the only American politician to respond. The U.S Secretary of the State, Antony Blinken accused China of changing the ‘status quo with Taiwan. “We and countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one’s interests, including ASEAN members, and including China”
The U.S does not officially recognize Taiwan’s independence. When it comes to Taiwan, America follows the policy of political ambiguity. The U.S and Taiwan do share a trade relationship as the U.S is Taiwan’s weapons supplier.
Since Pelosi, who is the third in the chain of command in the American political system became the first American politician to visit the country in 25 years, her visit might make things worse. At the very least, it certainly sheds light on America’s political stance.
Read more: “How and When”- CIA chief speculates China’s invasion of Taiwan
