Taiwan has allegedly prepared its air defense assets in preparation for war, as China continues to issue warnings over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's likely visit to the island.
According to a senior Taiwanese government source and a US official, Pelosi will visit Taiwan as part of her Asia tour, despite Biden administration officials' concern about China's reaction to such a high-profile visit.
China Fumes as Nancy Pelosi Refuses To Rule Out Taiwan Visit
The trip, the first for a US House speaker in 25 years, is not on Pelosi's public agenda and comes at a time when US-China ties are already strained. She is likely to spend the night in Taiwan, according to the Taiwanese official. It is unknown when Pelosi will arrive in Taipei.
According to the US official, Defense Department personnel are working around the clock to monitor any Chinese activity in the region and devise a plan to keep her safe. During a regular foreign ministry briefing on Monday, China warned against the egregious political impact of Pelosi's planned visit to the self-governing island that China claimed as part of its territory and reiterated that its military would not sit by idly.
In a tweet on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying warned that the US government must honor its commitments in both word and deed, otherwise, the US government must accept responsibility and suffer the repercussions for any activity that occurs.
As per Reuters, Chinese official Zhao Lijian stated earlier Monday that the Chinese military would not sit idly by if Pelosi visits Taiwan. China believes Taiwan to be part of its territory, notwithstanding Taiwan's claim to independence. The United States has attempted to defend Taiwan without offending Beijing.
The visit comes at a time when the United States is deploying additional armaments to the island to assist it in defending itself against China. Pelosi met with officials in Singapore on Monday to explore ways to boost US economic participation through initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
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Pelosi Arrives in Singapore
Her office confirmed Pelosi's Asia schedule, which includes trips to Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, on Sunday. The tour will focus on mutual security, economic collaboration, and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region, USA Today reported.
Unverified news reports in July that Pelosi, a Democratic California congresswoman, might visit Taiwan in August prompted Chinese authorities and state media to issue threats. Last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian stated that such a visit would have "consequences" for the US and that China is opposed to any type of formal cooperation between the US and the Taiwan area.
Pelosi, the US House Minority Leader, landed in Singapore early Monday on a trip to Asia that would supposedly include a visit to Taiwan. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US General Mark Milley, stated last week that the military would try to secure her safety if a decision is made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China (ROC), is located in the western Pacific Ocean and has been ruled autonomously by mainland China since 1949, according to a Council on Foreign Relations explanation of the China-Taiwan relationship.
Chinese officials have maintained that Taiwan is an integral part of China, and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged in October last year to pursue peaceful reunification with the ROC, according to Newsweek.
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