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| Photo Credit: AP. |
U.S. House Speaker Wednesday departed Taiwan after a high powered trip to the disputed island leaving a furious Chinese military as it prepares for military exercise in a bid to intimidate the island.
Ms. Pelosi
met with Taiwanese lawmakers and with Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen during
her stay in the country.
Ms. Pelosi
is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the island after more than 25
years.
Pelosi departs for South Korea Wednesday afternoon
Ms. Pelosi headed
to South Korea late Wednesday afternoon after meeting with human rights leaders
in Taiwan and toured a human rights museum, The New York Times reports.
The House
Speaker assured officials in the self-governed island country that a trade deal
between Taiwan and the United States was imminent, according to New York Times.
She also held talks with the chairman of the Taiwan chip giant T.S.M.C.
China vows to punish United States and Taiwan over Pelosi's visit
A
spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, Hua Chunying told a regular news
conference in Beijing Wednesday that the United States and China would be
punished over Pelosi’s visit.
“As for the
specific countermeasures, what I can tell you is that they’ll include
everything that should be included,” Ms. Hua said, according to People’s Daily,
The New York Times reported. “The measures in question will be firm, vigorous
and effective, and the U.S. side and Taiwan independence forces will continue
feeling them.”
Ms. Pelosi had arrived Taipei to a rousing welcome although most Chinese sympathizers had mixed feelings. China’s military would begin a series of live-fire drills, as early as Thursday along Taiwan’s coastline which could be as close as 10 miles from the Taiwan’s coast, according to The New York Times.
Ms. Pelosi also
visited the National Human Rights Museum and was expected to meet people who
had been detained by the Chinese government.
On Tuesday Pelosi
arrived Taiwan Tuesday despite serious of threats and saber rattling by Chinese
authorities.
My visit sign of "America's unwavering commitment" to Taiwan's democracy
In a
statement released after the speaker’s arrival, Ms. Pelosi said her visit was a
sign of America’s “unwavering commitment” to supporting Taiwan’s democracy.
“America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important
today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,”
she said, adding that the congressional visit did not contradict United States
policy on Taiwan, according to The New York Times.
China's foreign ministry condemns Pelosi's Taiwan visit
Condemning
Pelosi’s visit, China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying the visit
“seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously
undermines the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations and sends a
seriously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” New York
Times reported.
A separate
statement released by the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office said
any attempt to seek independence by Taiwan would be “shattered by the powerful
force of the Chinese people,” according to the newspaper.
China announces military drills in response to Pelosi's visit
In
anticipation of Ms. Pelosi’s trip, China’s military said Saturday that it would
conduct drills with live ammunition off its coast at one of the narrowest
points of the Taiwan Strait, just 80 miles from Taiwan, according to New York
Times.
On Sunday a
Chinese Air Force spokesman said the country would send fighter jet around
Taiwan to demonstrate its ability to defend its territorial integrity.
As Ms.
Pelosi’s plane approached Taiwan, several Chinese state media outlets reported
that Chinese Su-35 fighter jets were crossing the strait.
China could use Pelosi's visit to Taiwan to justify military action - U.S.
On Monday
the United States expressed worry that China would use the visit to justify
military action.
“There is no
reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding U.S.
policy into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase
aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” John F. Kirby, a
National Security Council spokesman, told reporters, according to New York
Times.
On Tuesday,
Taiwan’s military said it would strengthen combat readiness in anticipation of
a potential response from China following Pelosi’s visit.