August 15, 2022

"It's playing with fire." China reacted sharply to the visit of US lawmakers to Taiwan

Beijing calls on Washington to stop interfering in the country's internal affairs and adhere to the "One China" policy. This is how Liu Xiamin, the special representative of the Chinese government on the Korean Peninsula, commented on the next visit of US congressmen to Taiwan.

"This is a very dangerous act, like playing with fire. And those who play with fire will die from it. We call on relevant countries to adhere to the 'One China' policy, properly resolve Taiwan issues, and stop interfering in Beijing's internal affairs," Xiaoming said.

He also added that anyone trying to prevent China's unification would face a "great steel wall" built by the country's more than 1.4 billion people.

Earlier , we reported that the US Congress delegation led by Senator Ed Markey went to the island. They visited Taiwan as part of a wider visit to the Indo-Pacific region.

For information, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived at Taipei's Songshan Airport on the evening of August 2 and returned on August 3, less than a day on the island. This was the first visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress to the island since 1997. In Taiwan, Pelosi met with the head of the island's administration, Sai Ingwen.

This event strained the relations between the United States and China. Official Beijing began military exercises near Taiwan before Pelosi's arrival. After the visit, training was started in several areas around the island.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly protested and condemned the politician's visit. It was emphasized that his trip would seriously violate the principle of "One China" and the provisions of the three China-US communiques. Beijing also urged Washington to stop using Taiwan to control China. In addition, the diplomatic department assured that it will take all necessary measures to protect the country's sovereignty.

According to the White House, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan did not violate China's sovereignty, and the US administration assured that it "will not allow itself to be intimidated." American officials insist that there is no reason for the escalation of tensions in the region.

The Kremlin called Pelosi's trip a provocation that would increase tensions in the region. The press secretary of the president, Dmitry Peskov, drew attention to the fact that all the countries of the world are taking note of this and noted Russia's solidarity with China.

Chinese military put on high alert after Pelosi's visit. The army has started military exercises at several points around Taiwan.

The China-Taiwan issue

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after being defeated in the Chinese Civil War. Since then, Taiwan has retained the flag and other attributes of the former Republic of China that existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power.

The United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 and established them with the PRC. While recognizing the "one China" policy, Washington maintains relations with the Taipei administration and supplies arms to the island. In 2020, the administration of former US President Donald Trump significantly intensified communications and exchanges with Taiwan amid heightened tensions with Beijing over the situation in Hong Kong, much to the dismay of PRC officials.

The US is Taiwan's main arms supplier. In April of this year, the State Department approved a $95 million contract to maintain Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.