Amid the tensions surrounding Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, the US House Speaker on Tuesday said the United States cannot stand by as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) "threatens" Taiwan and democracy.
"We cannot stand by as the CCP proceeds to threaten Taiwan - and democracy itself," Pelosi said in an op-ed for The Washington Post newspaper.
Pelosi landed in Taiwan tonight as part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region in the face of the China threat.
"The Taiwan Relations Act set out America's commitment to a democratic Taiwan, providing the framework for an economic and diplomatic relationship that would quickly flourish into a key partnership. It fostered a deep friendship rooted in shared interests and values: self-determination and self-government, democracy and freedom, human dignity and human rights," she said.
The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, said the US must stand by Taiwan, which is an island of resilience.
"Taiwan is a leader in governance: currently, in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and championing environmental conservation and climate action. It is a leader in peace, security and economic dynamism: with an entrepreneurial spirit, culture of innovation and technological prowess that are envies of the world," she added.
Pelosi further said the Congressional delegation's visit should be seen as a statement that America stands with democratic Taiwan in the face of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) aggression.
After Pelosi landed in Taipei, she reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts United States policy on the self-governed island.
"Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she said in a statement.
Pelosi also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China.
In response to the visit of the US delegation, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi said the Chinese army intends to conduct missile tests and live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan, starting from the evening of August 2, the Chinese armed forces will begin military operations around Taiwan, long-range live firing will be held in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile tests will be organized in the sea area of the eastern part of the island.
"These actions are a fair deterrent to the recent major escalation of US negative actions on the Taiwan issue and a serious warning to the pro-Taiwan independence forces," Shi Yi said.
Pelosi's plane landed in Taiwan amid a heightened security threat from China. Beijing has warned the US that it will "pay the price" if Pelosi visits Taiwan, which is the highest level of US visits in more than two decades.
Since the reports of the US House Speaker's visit were released last month, Beijing has been warning of Pelosi's Taiwan visit saying that it will act strongly and take countermeasures if the US side insists on going ahead with the visit.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
