House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) departed Taiwan on Wednesday for South Korea and left in her wake soaring tensions between Taipei and Beijing as the Chinese military continued preparing unprecedented military exercises that will effectively blockade the island.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is closing off six areas around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday and is expected to hold drills, including live-fire exercises, in some areas within 12 miles of the island.
The drills are expected to be bigger than the missile tests China launched during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis that was sparked in 1995 by the US granting a visa to former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui.
Both Chinese and American analysts believe that the unprecedented military exercises could become routine, a consequence of Pelosi’s provocative visit.
China also imposed sanctions on Taiwan because of Pelosi, including a ban on the export of natural sand, and a halt on imports of fish and fruit products from the island.
During her brief visit, Pelosi met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, visited the island’s parliament, and met with Taiwan’s leading chip manufacturers. During her meeting with Tsai, Pelosi said the US will “not abandon our commitment” to the island.
The US hasn’t had formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan since 1979 when Washington formally opened up with Beijing. The US currently has no commitment to defend Taiwan if China attacks, a policy known as “strategic ambiguity.” But some hawks in Washington are looking to drastically change the US’s Taiwan policy, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the last member of Congress to visit the island before Pelosi.
Scott visited Taiwan in early July and President Tsai thanked him for supporting the Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act, a bill the senator introduced in 2020 and 2021 that would give the President Biden war powers to fight China if it attacked Taiwan. As usual, China responded angrily to Scott’s visit and sent warships across the median line that separates the Taiwan Strait in response.
In recent years, congressional delegations to Taiwan have become more frequent. Pelosi claims her trip and the increased support for Taiwan are about defending “democracy,” but the visits are clearly part of Washington’s new focus on confronting Beijing.
Last year, Raymond Greene, the deputy head of the de facto US embassy in Taipei, summed up the new US policy toward Taiwan and China. “The United States no longer sees Taiwan as a ‘problem’ in our relations with China, we see it as an opportunity to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Greene said.
Andrei Martyanov’s video today explains his view that China “blinked” over Taiwan. The primary reason is that China is aware of its one (or perhaps two) main weaknesses: 1) a relative weakness in navies, and 2) especially in nuclear submarines. Definitely worth the listen.
China and Mixed Bag.
China didn’t blink. They just didn’t react stupidly like Putin did in Ukraine. China kept their eyes on the prize, which is unification with Taiwan in the long term and demonstrating China’s strategic dominance of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait in the short term. A US official delivered a speech. In response the Chinese navy and air force demonstrated their capacity to operate in airspace and waters claimed by Taiwan with impunity. Pelosi blew hot air. The Chinese responded by demonstrating that they can blockade or invade Taiwan whenever they choose. And there is nothing the US can do to stop them. Pelosi’s visit just drew attention to the inability o the US to support its client states and allies in the Far East.
Taiwan is legally a part of China. The United States also recognises Taiwan as part of China.
On the US Department of State website they write, “We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence.”
It is the United States who is in violation of international and US law.
CNN writes “US Navy Destroyer enters Chinese-claimed waters for third time in a week.”
Chinese claimed waters? The US Department of State recognises Taiwan as part of China. CNN headline is an outright lie as is most of the MSM articles.
It is these MSM lies that lead to war in Europe. And is taking us to war in Asia.
It not for the US to recognize or not recognize.It is up to the people of Taiwan to live as they choose.
I would call a mainland invasion of the island a change in the status quo
Pelosi – the gift that you never wanted that keeps on giving. Let’s hope no one overreacts in the next couple of days with these military exercises and we get into the shooting war that’s still very much possible thanks to near Nance’s completely unnecessary provocation trip.
The US does not support democracies, it destroys democracies however it can, including in the US itself.
I like the way South Korea’s President Yoon handled this. He went on vacation and declined to meet with Pelosi.
Pelosi supported the Chips legislation that would jump-start the US semiconductor industry. Presumably, that will be seen as an attack on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, which currently holds 2/3 of the global market. I can’t imagine that her visit was welcomed even in Taiwan.
After their defeat by Mao, the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan and established the current government in 1949. Frankly, if China hasn’t started a war over Taiwan in the past 83 years, Pelosi’s visit isn’t going to do it now. It’s just more saber-rattling from China.
China had the capacity to invade Taiwan for over 50 years. But peace has been good for the Chinese people and their economy. Xi is not Putin and won’t jeopardize China’s economic miracle by going to war over territory or supporting an occupation.
Actually it is amusing that the biggest military conflict China has been involved in in recent decades has been its border dispute with India in the Himalayas. The Indians and Chinese agreed to refrain from using live fire against each other. Until a few months ago the two armies fought each other with snowballs and rocks until India accused China of unfairly escalating the conflict by using iron bars with spiked tips.
Precisely. They know they’re never getting Taiwan back, but they don’t want to appear weak by admitting it… So they just raise a fuss whenever anybody acknowledges Taiwan exists, to make sure we all remember that China still says it’s theirs.
Visiting Taiwan was Not enough provocation from Nancy, she now intends to visit DMZ on North Korea border…!
I am a person of peace but if I could have Nancy for five minutes, I’d give her a completely new hairdo (which she desperately needs)…
She looks good bald…! Matches her arrogance and artificial toughness…!
Are you getting all your news from OANN or something? The DMZ is a major tourist attraction and receives over 1 million visitors a year. There is nothing special or provocative about visiting it.
Obama has been there, and Reagan, and Clinton, and Trump, and GWB.
But Pelosi is NOT a tourist, get it…!
Neither were GWB, Reagan, Clinton or Obama. Get it?
Yup…! That’s the exact reason they shouldn’t have visited the area which is a provocation pointed at North Korea! I have been there myself… it is a small building museum like on top of a hill with views of the zone to the north, nothing else to see there…!
Russia has formally accused the USA of spreading Corona and Monkey Pox viruses in Ukraine. The information they recovered in Rubizhne has detailed the testing of civilians in the region.
According to this data the USA is responsible for creating and spreading both viruses. Its time to start crimes against humanity tribunals in the Hague.
I mean, I can accuse you of kicking my dog, too, but it doesn’t mean it’s true.