Taiwan: United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night, 2 August, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China.
Second in line to the presidency, Pelosi is the highest-elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
On Wednesday, Pelosi met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei.
Speaking on her visit, Tsai Ing-wen said that US Speaker Pelosi is “truly one of Taiwan’s most devoted friends. We are grateful to you to make this visit to Taiwan to showcase the US Congress’ staunch support for Taiwan.”
He added, “Aggressions against democratic Taiwan would have a tremendous impact on the security of the entire Indo-Pacific…Facing deliberately heightened military threats Taiwan will not back down.”
Meanwhile, during a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker of Taiwan’s Parliament, Pelosi had said, “We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace to the region.”
Pelosi told the Taiwanese Parliament that the US chip bill would offer a good opportunity for US-Taiwan cooperation in the chip industry.
Pelosi also stressed that the US wants to increase parliamentary exchanges with Taiwan.
“Taiwan is a flourishing democracy. It has proven to the world that hope, courage and determination can build a peaceful and prosperous future despite the challenges it faces. Now, more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, that’s the message we bring in today,” she said. She was speaking at an event along with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
On Wednesday, Pelosi thanked President Tsai Ing-wen for her leadership, called for increased inter-parliamentary cooperation.
“We commend Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world,” Pelosi told Taiwan’s parliament.
While Pelosi is not the first House Speaker to go to Taiwan – Newt Gingrich visited in 1997 – her visit comes as relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated sharply, and with China a much more powerful economic, military and geopolitical force than it was a quarter century ago.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.
