News and Views on Tibet

China warns Speaker Pelosi of “wrong signal” ahead of Taiwan visit

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Photo/Reuters)

By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, July 20: The Chinese government on Tuesday expressed concern over the potential visit to Taiwan by the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as reported by the Financial Times. China warned the US government that it would take “resolute and forceful measures” if the long-time Tibet supporter is to visit Taiwan in August. The proposed visit will become the highest-level US delegation to visit the island nation in 25 years.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian on Tuesday told reporters that the potential visit would harm the already deteriorating relationship between China and the US. “[It would] have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and send a gravely wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” he told the press conference.

“If the US insists on going down the wrong path, China will definitely take resolute and forceful measures to firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States must be fully responsible for all the consequences caused by this,” Zhao further warned. The Beijing government has long claimed Taiwan as its own territory and repeatedly vowed to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland.

The visit, however, is not entirely a new development since Pelosi had previously planned to lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in April but the official trip was postponed as she tested positive for Covid-19. The Beijing government had issued similar warnings at the time.

Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August would be the first by a sitting House Speaker since the last visit by Speaker and Republican stalwart Newt Gingrich, who travelled to Taiwan in 1997. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said when asked if he was worried that the Speaker’s visit to Taiwan could send a “wrong signal” for US-China relationship, “I think the President’s position is pretty clear on our relationship with Taiwan. So the answer to that question is [that] I don’t think it will be a surprise to the Chinese or be a different message than we’ve been sending.”

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