TAIPEI, Aug 3 — US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed Taiwan’s parliament today and was due to meet with its president as well as human rights activists during a visit to the island that has infuriated Beijing.
Today, Pelosi thanked President Tsai Ing-wen for her leadership, called for increased inter-parliamentary cooperation. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.
China’s foreign ministry said Pelosi’s visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Before Pelosi’s arrival yesterday, Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military said it was on high alert and will launch “targeted military operations” in response to Pelosi’s visit.
The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by American law to provide it with the means to defend itself. China views visits by US officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on the island. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the island’s future.