BEIJING | An affront to China: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday, despite warnings from Beijing that sees the visit as a serious provocation that could inflame already strained Sino-US relations.
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Currently touring Asia, Ms Pelosi, 82, is the highest elected US official to visit the island in 25 years. A controversial initiative that is already creating strong tensions in the region.
Arrived in the evening on board an American military plane, the leader was welcomed on her arrival by Joseph Wu, the Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Our parliamentary delegation’s visit to Taiwan demonstrates America’s unconditional support for Taiwan’s vibrant democracy,” she said in a statement released shortly after her arrival.
She also felt that her visit did not contravene “in any way” the long-standing policy of the United States vis-à-vis China.
His visit had not been confirmed in advance, but several American and Taiwanese media had been talking about his coming for many days, leading to strong condemnations from Beijing.
Upon the arrival of Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced “a serious violation” of American commitments vis-à-vis China, which “seriously undermines regional peace and stability”.
He denounced the multiple “extremely dangerous” actions in recent years by American politicians, who “use Taiwan to contain China”, in particular with this visit.
The army threatens
The Chinese Ministry of Defense promised him “targeted military actions” from the army.
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).
Opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing is against any official contact between Taiwan and other countries.
US officials and parliamentarians regularly visit the island. But China considers a visit by Ms. Pelosi, one of the highest figures in the American state, to be a major provocation.
Last week, during a telephone interview with US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping had already called on Americans not to “play with fire”.
The last Speaker of the United States House of Representatives to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Since 1979, Washington has recognized only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide support to the Taiwanese authorities, with in particular multiple arms sales.
The United States also practices “strategic ambiguity”: in short, it refrains from saying whether or not it would defend the island militarily in the event of an invasion.
«Pure provocation»
Russia, a major ally of China, on Tuesday accused the Americans of “destabilizing the world” and described Nancy Pelosi’s visit as “pure provocation”.
Just before Ms Pelosi’s arrival, Chinese state television CGTN announced that Su-35 fighter jets were “crossing the Taiwan Strait” separating mainland China from the island, without further details.
In a press release, the Taiwanese army denied any crossing of the strait by Su-35s.
Most observers rate the likelihood of armed conflict as low. But US officials have said they are preparing for shows of force from the Chinese military, such as missile launches in the Taiwan Strait or aerial incursions around the island.
This visit is likely to cause a strong resurgence of tension in the region and to lead to Chinese reprisal measures against American and Taiwanese interests.
“The United States will certainly bear the responsibility (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, said on Tuesday.
Retaliation
According to the Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Timeswho cites anonymous sources, the American leader will meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, a pet peeve of Beijing because she comes from an independence party.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it was “determined” to protect the island from any attack.
“The likelihood of a war or a serious incident is low,” however, tweeted Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the American think tank German Marshall Fund.
“But the likelihood 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.
Last week, the Taiwanese military conducted its most important annual military exercises.
For its part, China has been organizing multiple “live ammunition” military maneuvers at sea in recent days, generally very close to the Chinese coast.