Taiwan is reportedly preparing for war after it scrambled fighter jets and placed its military on high alert prior to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the region which has received criticism and threat from China.
Pelosi is expected to visit Taipei, Taiwan's capital, as part of her tour of Asia despite warnings from China that they will gun down the American Democrat. The threats include one from the ambassador to the U.S., Qin Gang, who said that the country's military "will not sit idly by when it comes to safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Taiwan "Preparing for War"
On the other hand, Taiwan has also said that it sends "warm welcomes" to foreign guests ahead of the expected visit. However, Beijing news agency NEXTA reported that "Taiwan is preparing eight French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets to escort Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan's airspace."
Later, it added that China's Foreign Ministry had reiterated Chinese President Xi Jinping's determination to respond harshly if the visit continues. Last week, a Chinese Government propagandist suggested that Beijing's military could attack the plane carrying Pelosi if it was escorted to Taiwan, as per Express.
A commentator with the Chinese-state-owned Global Times, Hu Xijin, wrote in a now banned tweet, "If U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosi's plane into Taiwan, it is [an] invasion." It added that the People's Liberation Army has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the U.S. fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movements of obstruction.
One Chinese citizen also shared several pictures and videos on social media that showed military personnel and equipment moving across roads. The situation adds to the concern that the two parties may become embroiled in a war.
Hu also noted that if all of these warnings and precautionary tactics fail, then the Chinese air force should shoot down Pelosi's plane. Shortly after 9:00 a.m., flight trackers reported that a U.S. Air Force plane that took Pelosi to Malaysia had just departed from Kuala Lumpur.
According to RT, the base where Taiwan relocated its Mirage 2000 fighter jets was located in the southeastern part of the island from where Pelosi's plane is expected to approach. Furthermore, the island nation's Navy deployed two additional anti-submarine helicopters to patrol the waters near the island.
Pelosi's Taiwan Visit
The U.S. House speaker is expected to become the first speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in more than two decades. But Beijing has argued that the visit would be an affront to the "One China" policy that lays claim to sovereignty over Taiwan and which Washington formally acknowledges.
Taiwan was where Chinese nationalist forces retreated when they were defeated by communists during the 1940s civil war. The U.S. supported the losing side and kept unofficial relations going even after switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.
The island nation's government also called back officers from leave amid the mobilization of their forces. Amid widespread speculation over whether or not she would make a stop in Taiwan, Pelosi's office said Sunday that she was leading a congressional delegation to the region that would include visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan but did not have any mention of Taiwan, Mirror reported.
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