The front page of a newspaper reporting on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears in Taipei, Taiwan, August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Sign up now for FREE, unlimited access to Reuters.com
Sign up
TAIPEI, Aug 2 (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was expected to arrive in Taipei later on Tuesday, people briefed on the matter said, as several planes from Chinese warplanes were flying close to the median line that divides the Taiwan Strait, a source said. Reuters.
China has repeatedly warned against Pelosi going to Taiwan, which it claims as its home, and the United States said Monday it would not be intimidated by Chinese “sabre-rattling” during the visit.
In addition to Chinese planes flying near the median line of the sensitive waterway on Tuesday morning, several Chinese warships had remained near the unofficial dividing line since Monday, the source told Reuters.
Sign up now for FREE, unlimited access to Reuters.com
Sign up
The source said both Chinese warships and aircraft “pressed” the median line on Tuesday morning, an unusual move that the person described as “very provocative”.
The person said the Chinese plane repeatedly made tactical maneuvers to briefly “touch” the median line and turn to the other side of the strait on Tuesday morning, while Taiwanese planes stood by nearby.
Normally, planes from neither side cross the median line.
In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said it has full knowledge of military activities near Taiwan and will send forces appropriately in reaction to “enemy threats.”
China’s defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, which faces Taiwan and is home to a large military presence, residents on Tuesday reported sightings of moving armored vehicles and posted photos online.
Chinese social media was abuzz with trepidation over the potential conflict and patriotic fervor over the prospect of unification with Taiwan, and the topic of Pelosi’s visit was the most popular article on Twitter-like Weibo.
A person familiar with Pelosi’s itinerary said most of her planned meetings, including with President Tsai Ing-wen, were scheduled for Wednesday, and it was possible her delegation would only arrive in Taiwan early Wednesday .
“Everything is uncertain,” the person said.
Taiwan’s Liberty Times newspaper said Pelosi’s delegation was due to arrive at 10:20 pm (1420 GMT) on Tuesday, without citing the sources.
Pelosi was visiting Malaysia on Tuesday, having kicked off her Asia tour in Singapore on Monday. His office said he will also go to South Korea and Japan, but made no mention of a visit to Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had no comment on reports of Pelosi’s travel plans, but the White House – which would not confirm the trip – said she had the right to go.
Beijing’s responses could include missile launches near Taiwan, large-scale air or naval activity, or more “spurious legal claims,” such as China’s claim that the Taiwan Strait is not an international waterway , White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington. Monday.
“We’re not going to take the bait or engage in sabre-rattling. At the same time, we’re not going to be intimidated,” Kirby said.
“GRAND INTERFERENCE”
Four sources said Pelosi planned to meet Wednesday afternoon with a small group of activists speaking out about China’s human rights record.
The meeting is likely to take place at the National Human Rights Museum in New Taipei City, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it would be “a huge interference in China’s internal affairs” if Pelosi visits Taiwan, warning that “the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never stand idly by.”
Asked what kind of measures the PLA might take, Zhao said: “if it dares to go, let’s wait and see.”
China sees visits by US officials to Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by Beijing, as sending an encouraging signal to the island’s pro-independence camp. Washington does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is required by US law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
The visit by Pelosi, who is second in line to the US presidency and a long-time critic of China, would come amid worsening ties between Washington and Beijing.
The White House has dismissed China’s rhetoric as unfounded and inappropriate.
‘VISIT RIGHTS’
Kirby said nothing about Pelosi’s possible trip changed US policy toward Taiwan, and that Beijing was well aware that the division of powers within the US government meant Pelosi would make her own decisions about the visit.
“The speaker has the right to visit Taiwan,” he said at the White House briefing.
During a phone call last Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden that Washington should respect the one-China principle and “those who play with fire will die for it.”
Biden told Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never given up using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only its people can decide the island’s future.
Sign up now for FREE, unlimited access to Reuters.com
Sign up
Reporting by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu; Written by Tony Munroe; Editing by Stephen Coates and Simon Cameron-Moore
Our standards: the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.