Pelosi Set To Travel To Taiwan Tuesday, Despite Warnings From Beijing

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi started her Asian travels on Monday with a stop in Singapore and was expected to stay Tuesday night in Taipei. The foreign ministry of Taiwan states that it had “no comment” on accounts of her navigational intentions.

By Matt Pepple, SJ Correspondent
August 02, 2022 04:35 am UTC
Modified: August 02, 2022 04:35 am

BEIJING/TAIPEI – US Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to travel to Taipei on Tuesday. China had alarmed the United States by stating that its armed forces would not "sit idly by" if Mrs. Pelosi came to the self-governed island declared by Beijing. Chinese military vessels and aircraft have been spotted carrying out "tactical" moves by touching the median line in the Taiwan Strait.

Pelosi started off her travel to Asia on Monday with a stop in Singapore and was expected to stay Tuesday night in Taipei. The Taiwanese foreign ministry said that it had "no comment" in regards to Speaker Pelosi's navigational intentions.

Among a great deal of conjecture on whether or not she would make a stop in Taiwan; a representative for Speaker Pelosi stated that she was guiding a congressional delegation to the territory, and would stop in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore but had omitted anything to do with Taiwan, according to Reuters.

China's foreign ministry representative, Zhao Lijian commented earlier on Monday that it would be "a gross interference in China's internal affairs," if Speaker Pelosi comes to Taiwan and informed that it would usher in “very serious developments and consequences.” Zhao also states, “We would like to tell the United States once again that China is standing by, the Chinese People's Liberation Army will never sit idly by, and China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Reuters reported.

In regards to what type of responses the PLA might resort to, Zhao said, "if she dares to go, then let us wait and see."

China considers travels by representatives of the US to Taiwan as expressing incentive to for the island to be “pro-independent” from China. Washington DC does not have conclusive ties with Taiwan but is determined under US law to implement safeguards in place for Taiwan to secure itself.

The Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang did not say on Monday whether Pelosi would visit Thursday, as regional broadcasts had assumed. “We always warmly welcome visits to our country by distinguished foreign guests," he told members of the press in Taipei, as cited by Reuters.

Speaker Pelosi and her congressional detachment met with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, talking about cross-strait compatibility; climate change, and the conflict in Ukraine, the Singapore foreign ministry states, "PM Lee highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security,"

Reuters reported that "several" Chinese military aircraft have flown close to the median line in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. An 'informed source' reportedly told Reuters that several Chinese military vessels also hugged the dividing line on Monday. In response, Taiwan sent out their own military aircraft to monitor the activity.

The source told Reuters that the Chinese military aircraft carried out "tactical" moves by "touching" the median line for a short period of time and then circling around to the other side of the strait while Taiwan's aircraft were nearbye on standby. The source said that the Chinese vessels also "squeezed" the median line, and said that the move was "unusual" and "very provocative" as neither Taiwan nor China normally cross the median line.