Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, China warns Washington against 'paying the price'
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu greets Nancy Pelosi at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei.
Reuters
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said upon her arrival in Taiwan yesterday that her controversial visit demonstrates Washington's strong commitment to the self-ruled island that China considers part of its territory.
This comes after China warned the United States that it would "pay the price" if Pelosi visited Taiwan.
"The congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan underscores America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," Pelosi said in a statement shortly after her plane arrived.
Pelosi, the highest-ranking US elected official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, stressed that her visit does not "in any way" contradict US policies that recognize "one China" and have not officially recognized Taiwan as an independent state.
For her part, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing that "the US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price in case of prejudice to China's sovereign security interests."
A source told Reuters that several Chinese warplanes flew near the center line that divides the Taiwan Strait.
Pelosi arrived yesterday in Malaysia, on the second leg of her Asian tour, which raises the level of tension between Washington and Beijing, against the background of a visit to Taiwan.
Nancy Pelosi landed yesterday morning at the Malaysian air base before meeting with the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, according to the national news agency Bernama.
As Pelosi headed to Taipei amid intense warnings from China, four US warships, including an aircraft carrier, were stationed in the waters east of the island in "regular" deployments.
In Moscow, the Kremlin considered yesterday that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would be a "pure provocation", stressing Russia's "absolute solidarity" with China.
"Everything connected with a visit to Taiwan is pure provocation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
This exacerbates the situation in the region and increases tensions.”
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