(CNN) –– Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night (local time), amid threats from China for her visit to the island and concerns from the Biden government. Her arrival marks a significant show of diplomatic support for the island despite warnings of retaliation from China for the trip.
This is the first time in 25 years that a speaker of the US House of Representatives has visited Taiwan.
A Taiwanese official previously told CNN that Pelosi is expected to spend the night in Taipei.
“An Unwavering Commitment”
Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement Tuesday that the visit “honors the United States’ unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”
“Our talks with Taiwan’s leaders will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Pelosi’s statement said. “America’s solidarity with Taiwan’s 23 million people is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”
Minutes following Pelosi arrived on the island, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the visit in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry noted that Pelosi landed on the island “without taking into account the strong opposition and serious representations from China.” He added that this is “a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint treaties. It has a profound impact on the political foundation of China-US relations and violates gravely the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China”.
Furthermore, he warned that it “severely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a very wrong signal to separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence’.”
China’s warnings for Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan
While Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan did not appear on her Asia tour itinerary, the visit was widely discussed for weeks before her trip. The possible trip drew warnings from China, as well as from the Biden administration, which informed the Speaker of the House regarding the risks of visiting the democratic and autonomous island, which China claims as part of its territory.
Indeed, hours before Pelosi landed in Taipei, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi echoed President Xi Jinping’s warnings that the United States should not “play with fire” in Taiwan. In that sense, the foreign minister reiterated Beijing’s position that any interference with its one-China principle is an “indisputable red line.”
“The one China principle is the universal consensus of the international community, the political basis for China’s exchanges with other countries, the core of China’s interests, and an unquestionable red line and end result,” the statement read. Wang’s statement posted on the ministry’s website.
international tensions
On Monday, a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official confirmed that Pelosi was going to visit Taiwan, despite warnings from the Biden administration, which is concerned regarding China’s response to a visit from Taiwan. so high profile.
Following the news, China warned of the “appalling political impact” of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and said its military “will not sit idly by” if Beijing believes its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” are being threatened.
The US official added on Monday that defense department officials are working around the clock to monitor any movement by China in the region and ensure a plan to keep it safe.
The question of Taiwan – an autonomous island that China claims as part of its territory – remains one of the most contentious. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed it at length in a two-hour, 17-minute phone call on Thursday, as tensions between Washington and Beijing rise.