The Speaker of the American House of Representatives will visit Taiwan, and may ignite a confrontation with China

While relations between the US and China are at a low ebb, Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit the island, whose sovereignty is in dispute. The Chinese president has already warned against a visit by senior American officials to Taiwan, and the US Department of Defense is working to prevent any violent reaction

Voila system!

news

01/08/2022

Monday, August 01, 2022, 20:34 Updated: 21:35

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on Twitter

• Share by email

• Share in general

• Comments

  Comments

The Speaker of the American House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is expected to arrive in Taiwan as part of her round of visits to Asia, and the Biden administration is afraid of the Chinese reaction - it was reported today (Monday) on the CNN network. According to the report, White House officials warned Pelosi against her arrival in Taiwan, which will be her first visit of the chairman of the House of Representatives in this country for 25 years.

Pelosi's visit comes at a time when relations between the United States and China are at a low ebb.

Now, the US Department of Defense is working around the clock to ensure the safety of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to detect any hostile activity the Chinese may take.

You will arrive in Taiwan.

Pelosi (Photo: Reuters)

China sees the visits of American representatives to Taiwan as sending an encouraging message to the island about its independence, which it opposes.

Washington has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself in the event of a Chinese attack.

A visit by Pelosi, the third most important political figure in the United States, after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, will be significant but not unprecedented.

In 1997, the Republican Newt Gingrich, who was then the speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan.

"Playing with fire".

Biden (Photo: Reuters)

Earlier this week the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned against "dangerous political actions".

This is due to the fact that in China Taiwan is considered a part of China.

"The army will not sit quietly if they feel in Beijing that sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"China will use a strong response to protect its sovereignty."

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden over the weekend that he would "not play with fire" regarding Taiwan in a phone call that lasted more than two hours.

"Those who play with fire may die. Hopefully the United States understands this," Xi said, according to a statement in Chinese.

He also urged the United States to implement the three joint agreements that are the basis of relations between the two countries "in words and deeds."

Xi pledged to "resolutely" defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and said it was "the will of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people."

In response, Biden again emphasized Washington's policy and said that it has not changed and that "the United States strongly opposes unilateral attempts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region," according to the American statement.

Afterwards, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan stated that it would continue to deepen the close security partnership with the United States.

More in Walla!

China's lesson from Russia's war in Ukraine

To the full article

"He who plays with fire may die."

Xi Jinping (Photo: AP)

White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre did not comment on China's statements and said that Biden and Xi "had a direct conversation."

"This is what you hear from the president all the time, the importance of talks between leaders," she told reporters.

"But again, I don't intend to talk about the conversation or interpret the Chinese statement."

She noted that Biden and Xi have known each other for four decades, and said that the conversation had been planned "for some time."

Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, suggested holding the call in June in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, she added.

In addition, Biden and Xi agreed to plan an in-person summit between the leaders, according to Biden administration officials.

• news

• world news

• Asia and the Pacific

Tags

• United States

• China

• Taiwan

• Nancy Pelosi