6:37 p.m. World stock markets down, worried regarding tensions between the United States and China
World stock markets lost ground on Tuesday following the announcement of Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which further strains relations between the United States and China. European markets ended down, Paris lost 0.42%, Frankfurt 0.23% and Milan 0.35%. Only London remained in balance, at -0.06%. In the United States, Wall Street was more mixed. After opening in the red, the Dow Jones lost 0.46% but the Nasdaq gained 0.27% around 4:00 p.m. GMT. For its part, the S&P500 evolved to equilibrium, at +0.02%.
The downward movement was initiated in the morning by the Asian stock markets, which fell sharply, in the face of the possible visit of the head of the American deputies. ” Any disruptions to Taiwanese trade as a result of these tensions may aggravate the difficulties already felt in global supply chains. “, in particular at the level of semiconductors of which Taiwan is a major exporter, assured Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets.
6:24 p.m. For Taipei, Pelosi’s visit shows ‘unwavering’ US support for Taiwan
Visit to Taiwan by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi shows support unwavering from Washington, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ” We believe President Pelosi’s visit… will strengthen the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the United States, and further deepen the overall cooperation between the two sides in all fields,” the ministry said. .
6:10 p.m. Nancy Pelosi will meet the president tomorrow
According to the Financial Times and the Taiwanese press, Nancy Pelosi will spend the night in Taiwan and will meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Wednesday. It is currently 12:10 a.m. in Taiwan.
5:48 p.m. China to fire missiles in Taiwan Strait
A spokesman for the Chinese army specifies that these ” joint military operations around Taiwan » will take the form « sea and air exercises in the north, southwest and southeast of the island, long-range artillery firings in the Taiwan Straits and conventional missile test firings in maritime areas east of the island from Tuesday evening ».
5:34 p.m. China announces ‘targeted military actions’ in response to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
China announces that the army will launch ” targeted military actions “. The army operation aims to ” resolutely uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly thwart external interference and separatist attempts for +Taiwan independence+ said Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
5:26 p.m. Chinese army announces military exercises near Taiwan
« The People’s Liberation Army (China’s military) will conduct major military exercises and training activities, including live-fire exercises in six regions surrounding the island of Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday. “, indicates the Global Times, a Chinese state media.
5:14 p.m. Beijing denounces the “extremely dangerous” attitude of the United States
China denounces the attitude extremely dangerous of the United States, shortly following the arrival of the president of Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan. ” The United States (…) tries to use Taiwan to contain China “, said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, adding that Washington ” keeps distorting, obscuring and rendering meaningless the one-China principle, intensifying its official exchanges with Taiwan and encouraging Taiwan’s separatist +independence+ activities. These actions, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous ».
5:10 p.m. Nancy Pelosi says visit shows US ‘unconditional support’ for island
« Our Parliamentary Delegation’s Visit to Taiwan Shows America’s Unconditional Support for Taiwan’s Vibrant Democracy “, she declared in this press release, adding that this visit did not contravene” no way to long-standing US policy toward China. This policy consists of recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei.
5:06 p.m. The tension has been mounting in recent weeks
Nancy Pelosi’s visit raises tension in the region. Last week, the Taiwanese military conducted its most important annual military exercises. For its part, China organized a military exercise on Sunday. live ammunition in the Taiwan Strait – very close to the Chinese coast, however. Other exercises are underway in other maritime areas of the country.
4:55 p.m. Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan
The leader of the American congressmen, Nancy Pelosi, landed in Taiwan, despite warnings from China which regards the visit as a serious provocation risking to inflame already tense Sino-American relations. Live television footage showed Ms Pelosi, 82, being greeted on arrival by Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister. She arrived at Songshan Airport on a US military plane.
4:53 p.m. US expects response from China
John Kirby, the White House spokesman for strategic issues, warned on Monday that China ” (seemed) to position itself in order to potentially take a step further in the coming days “, which might ” include military provocations like firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan “, or ” major air raids in the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone. Some of these measures might comply with “ the worrying trend “from China to maneuver around the island, but others” might be on another scale “Said Mr. Kirby, who said that the last Chinese missile launches in the Taiwan Strait date back to the 1990s.
4:50 p.m. Diplomacy known as “strategic ambiguity”
The United States practices with regard to Taiwan a diplomacy known as strategic ambiguity », Consisting of recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei. Washington, however, refrains from saying whether or not the United States would defend the island militarily in the event of an invasion. John Kirby reiterated that this policy remains unchanged.
4:38 p.m. Chinese fighter jets ‘cross Taiwan Strait’
Of the ” Chinese Su-35 fighter jets ” is in the process of ” cross the Taiwan Strait “, which separates mainland China from the island claimed by Beijing, indicated Tuesday evening (followingnoon in France) the Chinese state television CGTN.
4:30 p.m. Nancy Pelosi’s plane approaching Taiwan
Nancy Pelosi took off from Malaysia on Tuesday and is heading to Taiwan. According to the Flight Radar site, it should land around 4:50 p.m.
4:25 p.m. China suspended several imports from Taiwan
« The probability of a war or a serious incident is low “, estimated Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program of the American think-tank German Marshall Fund. ” But the probability that (China) will take a series of military, economic and diplomatic measures (…) is not negligible “, she added. Taiwanese agriculture authorities said on Tuesday that Beijing had suspended the import of certain Taiwanese goods, such as fish products, tea and honey.
4:20 p.m. “The United States will have to pay the price for its attack on China’s sovereignty”
« The United States will certainly be responsible (for the consequences) and will have to pay the price for its attack on China’s sovereignty and security. “Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, told the press.
« The US side betrayed its word on the Taiwan issue “Lamented in a press release Wang Yi, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, in reference to the commitment of the United States, since 1979, to have no official relationship with Taiwan.
China considers Taiwan, with a population of around 23 million, to be one of its provinces, which it has yet to successfully reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War ( 1949).
