- Nancy Pelosi, the US vice president, planned to visit Taiwan in August.
- China warned it would harm US-China relations and send wrong message to separatists.
- Steny Hoyer told Pelosi he wouldn’t go to Taiwan and didn’t know when she would.
China claimed it will take “strong and severe steps” if Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. This is the highest-level US visit in 25 years. Pelosi, the US vice president, planned to visit Taipei in August.
The FT quotes experts. Pelosi’s staff stayed mum on her whereabouts. On August 1, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was founded.
China’s Foreign Ministry criticised the prospective visit on Tuesday, saying it would harm China-US relations and send the incorrect message to “Taiwan independence” separatists.
“If the US persists going the wrong way, China will take firm and robust steps to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a ministry spokesperson warned.
Beijing’s Communist Party has long declared Taiwan is part of China and pledged to “reunify” the 24 million-person island with the Chinese mainland by force if necessary.
Pelosi however supposed to accompany US senators to Taiwan in April, but she tested positive for Covid-19. China warned against the travel at the time.
Since Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act in March 2018, American delegations have visited Taiwan often. Since then, US officials and lawmakers have visited the democratic island 20 times.
China has sent a record number of aeroplanes near Taiwan as tensions across the Taiwan Strait rise.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he wasn’t worried about Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan harming US-China relations “The President’s stance on Taiwan is clear.
I don’t think it will be a surprise or a different message than before.” Hoyer told Pelosi he wouldn’t go to Taiwan and didn’t know when she would.
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