Completely in defiance and paying no heed to the warnings from China, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed at the airport in Taipei, Taiwan. She landed despite there being much pressure against her visit, and the tactics of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and was escorted by Taiwan Air Force Jets.
She took to Twitter to express her statement mere minutes after she landed in Taipei.
“Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership reaffirm our support for our partner and promote our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” she tweeted.
“Our visit is not in contradiction to any policy”
She also stated that her visit to Taiwan along with the congressional delegation was not in contradiction with any US policy regarding the matter.
“Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan– and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S- China Joint Communiques and Six Assurances,” she continued in the tweet.
China will launch “targeted military operations”
In response to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China has stated that its army is on high alert and will launch “targeted military operations” as the country claims Taiwan as its territory.
Pelosi and her US Air Force jet, which departed from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, were escorted into Taiwan by Taiwan Air Force fighter jets, according to local Taiwanese media.
“Those who play with fire perish by it”: Beijing
The data received also tells that Pelosi’s jet, the “SPAR19”, which is a US Air Force-operated Boeing C-40C, actually became the most tracked aircraft in the world. This happened after reports of her landing in Taiwan spread.
Beijing, with regards to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, stated, “The United States…constantly distorts, obscured and hollows out the ‘One China principle. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.”
The visit comes at an all-time low period
The visit has been made at a time when the ties between US and China are at an all-time low, and this is also the first visit that a high-ranking official from the US has made to China in the past 25 years.
According to reports, on Tuesday, a number of Chinese warplanes came close to the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. These jets made tactical maneuvers in which they momentarily “touched” the strait before flying back. However, it is anticipated that Chinese efforts will pick up after Pelosi lands.