US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ignores China, lands in Taiwan

TAIPEI: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of a Congressional delegation issued a statement upon arrival in Taiwan on Tuesday for a visit to the self-governing island, amid heightened threats from Chinese officials and multiple rounds of military drills by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The visit is the first official visit to Taiwan by a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 25 years.

"Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy. Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific - including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan - focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the statement said.

"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.

"Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan - and it in no way contradicts the longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, US-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," it added.

Pelosi, the most senior US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, flew into the Songshan airport near the capital Taipei at around 10:45 pm local time.

Hundreds of Taiwanese, as well as Tibetans, gathered at her hotel to welcome the 82-year-old lawmaker, a staunch critic of Beijing for long.

In the run up to the trip, both China and Taiwan's militaries were on high-alert in preparation for the visit. Chinese domestic air travel in Fuzhou, across the Taiwan strait from Taiwan, was disrupted on Tuesday, indicating that military flights may be taking place nearby.

Taiwanese civilians have been participating in air raid drills to prepare for a potential attack by China's much larger military, RFA reported.

The United States does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically, but retains close unofficial ties with Taipei and is obligated by law to provide it with defence capabilities.

Beijing considers the self-ruling, democratic island a breakaway province, to be united with the mainland by force if necessary, and objects strongly to high-level US visits.

Pelosi's visit marks the start of the third - and the most controversial - leg of her five-country Asia tour, the DPA news agency reported.

Pelosi and her delegation of Democratic party lawmakers were met by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Sandra Oudkirk, the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as Washington's de facto embassy.

People around the world monitored the progress of her flight on Tuesday, watching on-flight tracking websites as her plane made its way from Kuala Lumpur toward Taipei.

The flight path avoided the contested South China Sea and was escorted by eight US Air Force fighter jets as well as Taiwan Air Force fighter aircraft.

Chinese SU-35 fighter jets flew into the narrow Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, shortly ahead of Pelosi's arrival, Chinese state television reported.

Beijing had warned the United States that there would be a "very serious situation and consequences" if Pelosi visited Taiwan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told the press in Beijing on Monday that such a visit would be a "blatant interference in China's internal affairs." (IANS)

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