China warned on Tuesday that the United States will bear the “responsibility” of a visit to Taiwan by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, during her Asian tour and that it will have to “pay the price”. .
“The United States will certainly be responsible (for the consequences) and will have to pay the price for their attack on China’s sovereignty and security,” Chinese diplomacy spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.
Beijing considers the island as part of its territory to be reunified, by force if necessary, and has repeatedly warned Washington against a visit by the senior official which would be experienced as a major provocation.
In the wake of Chinese threats, Russia, a major ally of China, has accused the United States of “destabilizing the world”.
“Anything related to […] a possible trip to Taiwan is a pure provocation. This aggravates the situation in the region and increases tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Ms Pelosi was in Malaysia on Tuesday, where she met the prime minister and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, on the second leg of a trip to Asia that is sparking speculation about a potential visit to Taipei.
Visit “very likely”
AFP reporters saw Ms Pelosi exiting a hotel in the Malaysian capital and entering an SUV. His motorcade then left under high security.
After Singapore and Malaysia, his itinerary includes stops in South Korea and Japan. The vagueness is knowingly maintained around a possible stop in Taiwan.
In a statement, Ms. Pelosi simply said, “We are engaged in a wide range of discussions on how to achieve our common goals and secure the Indo-Pacific.”
Several Taiwanese media relayed comments from the island’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Tsai Chi-chang, saying it was “very likely” that Ms Pelosi would come in the coming days.
Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times quoted unnamed sources as saying Ms Pelosi would land on the island on Tuesday evening and meet Ms Tsai the following day before departing again in the afternoon.
If the White House is embarrassed by the situation, John Kirby, his spokesperson, said Monday that Ms. Pelosi had “the right to visit Taiwan”.
“There is no reason for Beijing to make this visit, which does not depart from long-standing American doctrine, a form of crisis,” he added.
Although most observers rate the likelihood of an armed conflict as low, US officials have said they are preparing for possible displays of force by the Chinese military, such as missile strikes in the Taiwan Straits or massive air raids. around the island.
“Don’t play with fire”
On Tuesday, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it was “determined” to protect the island against threats from China.
The President of the Chamber is traveling on a military plane and although Washington does not fear a direct attack, the risk of a “calculation error” is very present.
The United States practices with regard to Taiwan a so-called “strategic ambiguity” diplomacy, consisting in recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei. Washington, however, refrains from saying whether or not the United States would militarily defend the island in the event of an invasion.
John Kirby reiterated that this policy remains unchanged.
The Taiwanese government has refrained from commenting on a visit by Nancy Pelosi.
Asked by reporters, Premier Su Tseng-chang did not confirm the visit on Tuesday, but thanked Ms Pelosi for her support.
The 23 million Taiwanese live under the constant threat of an invasion from China, this fear having increased since the coming to power of President Xi Jinping, who has made reunification a priority.
Last week, during a telephone interview with the American president, Mr. Xi called on the United States not to “play with fire”.
“As we see it, such a visit seems very dangerous and very provocative,” Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun said at a press conference. “If this visit takes place, it will also weaken the relationship between China and the United States. I’m sure the United States understands that.”
military voltage
To support their message, the Chinese military released a video on the Internet on Monday with a martial tone showing soldiers shouting that they are ready for combat, fighters taking off or even a rain of missiles annihilating various targets.
Nancy Pelosi’s potential visit comes as military tension mounts in the region.
Last week, the Taiwanese military conducted its largest annual military exercises, which included mock interceptions of Chinese attacks.
On Saturday, as a response, China organized a “live ammunition” military exercise in the Taiwan Strait – very close to the Chinese coast, however.
And the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its flotilla left Singapore for the South China Sea as part of a scheduled operation, the US Navy also said.
“The likelihood of a war or a serious incident is low,” however, tweeted Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program of the American think tank German Marshall Fund.
“But the likelihood that (China) will take a series of military, economic and diplomatic measures to show its strength and determination is not negligible,” she added. “It is likely that it will seek to punish Taiwan in multiple ways.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives would be, if her visit is confirmed, the highest American official to visit Taiwan since her predecessor Newt Gingrich in 1997.