A delegation led by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan.
The plane, followed by hundreds of thousands of people, landed in the administrative capital of the Taipei region on the evening of August 2.
After that, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a detailed statement, emphasizing that Pelosi's trip violates the principle of one China and the agreements reached earlier between Washington and Beijing.
“It greatly affected the political basis of Sino-US relations, violated the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, seriously undermined the stability in the Taiwan Strait, gave a false signal to the separatist forces advocating “Taiwan independence.”
China strongly protested and strongly condemned this,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by CGTN.
The diplomats stressed that Taiwan is an integral part of the PRC and the central government is the only legitimate government representing all of China.
Moreover, back in 1979, the United States promised to recognize this fact, maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan in the areas of business and culture as part of this approach, the Foreign Ministry recalled.
“The Taiwan issue is the key, sensitive, most important issue in Sino-US relations... The American side is trying, under the cover of Taiwan... to violate the one China principle and strengthen official ties between the US and Taiwan.
Such actions are a dangerous game.
Anyone who plays with fire will certainly set himself on fire, ”the diplomatic department said.
Later, the press service of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) informed about the start of the exercises in the area of the island.
"Starting from August 2, there will be a military operation around Taiwan, as well as joint military exercises in the northern, southwestern and southeastern waters of the island, including long-range firing in the Taiwan Strait," Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA's Eastern Combat Command Zone, said.
In turn, Pelosi released a joint statement with members of Congress accompanying her, in which she noted that the visit does not contradict US policy towards China and the island itself, but is intended to "express support for Taiwan's democracy."
Pelosi also noted that the United States continues to oppose "unilateral efforts to change the status quo."
However, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow perceives the visit of the American delegation as a clear provocation "in the spirit of the US aggressive line to comprehensively contain China."
The Foreign Ministry added that the Chinese side has the right to take the measures necessary to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Taiwan issue.
“We call on Washington to refrain from actions that undermine regional stability and international security, and to recognize the new geopolitical reality, in which there is no longer a place for American hegemony,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Not an easy trip
The prospect of deterioration in US-China relations due to Pelosi's trip has been discussed since its announcement in the spring of 2022.
Back in April, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that such a visit would be a "malicious provocation."
However, that visit was canceled due to Pelosi's positive COVID-19 test.
The trip was discussed again in July.
As journalists of the Financial Times noted, the visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives was announced against the background of the fact that relations between Beijing and Washington are at their lowest level since 1979, when the US diplomatically recognized the transfer of power over Taiwan from Taipei to Beijing.
The Joe Biden administration expressed concern that the arrival of a politician could provoke a serious crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
Later, the United States said that China was responsible for a possible escalation.
White House National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said Beijing has no reason to turn the current situation "into any kind of crisis or conflict and use it as an excuse to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait" because this visit is in line with many years of US policy.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also spoke about Beijing's responsibility for possible crisis situations and tensions around the situation with the flight.
In turn, representatives of China, on the eve of Pelosi's flight, repeatedly warned the United States about their readiness to intercept the plane with the speaker of the House of Representatives, but the plane eventually landed at the Taipei airport.
According to Sergei Tsekov, a member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, this visit is not needed by America, China, or Taiwan, and is aimed solely at “appeasing the pride” of Nancy Pelosi.
In a conversation with RT, the politician urged to wait for Beijing's response.
“The Chinese are wise people and will not exacerbate the mistakes that Pelosi has already made.
I think they will take any measures that will have a very painful effect on the United States and the policies that they are pursuing ... Pelosi is sharply worsening relations between the United States and China - these are the results of her arrival in Taiwan, ”Tsekov stated.
In turn, the director of the Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University, Yuri Rogulev, noted disagreements in assessing Pelosi's actions within the United States itself.
“All the American media and analysts are at a loss as to why this is necessary.
This is a provocation, it will not lead to good.
There are hawks, but there are also more sensible people who say that to arrange a provocation from scratch (obviously not ordinary) is, of course, the absence of some kind of strategic thinking, ”said the interlocutor of RT.
The Americanist recalled that the Biden administration tried to soften relations with China, if we compare its course with the policy of Donald Trump.
“In principle, this visit is in defiance of Biden himself and his policy towards China,” he concluded.