The trip, the highest-level U.S. visit to the island since 1997, takes place in the face of serious objections from Beijing.
By: The New York Times
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, making the highest-level visit by a U.S. official in 25 years and setting up a tense standoff with China that could lead to more aggressive military posturing.
The trip prompted a sharp response from China, which bristles at any perceived challenge to its claims on self-ruled Taiwan. China had repeatedly warned Ms. Pelosi not to make the visit, while the United States warned Beijing not to turn the moment into a crisis.
In a statement released shortly after her arrival, Ms. Pelosi said the visit was a sign of America’s “unwavering commitment” to supporting Taiwan’s democracy. “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,” she said, adding that the congressional visit did not contradict United States policy on Taiwan.
Shortly after Ms. Pelosi’s arrival, China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the trip. The visit, it said in a statement, “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously undermines the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations and sends a seriously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”
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