The U.S House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after her controversial visit amid threats from China and military drills.
Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday with delegates from the U.S congress. She is the most senior American politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
She met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen reiterating US commitment towards the island’s democracy. Pelosi will travel to South Korea after departing Taiwan.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls Pelosi trip a “political provocation”
In the wake of continued military drills by the People’s Republic of China’s military, Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that the drills violated United Nation’s rules.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said the island will firmly defend its security, counter any move that violates territorial sovereignty and enhance its alertness level with the principle of not asking for war.
Read also: Is Taiwan a part of China? A short history of Taiwan
The US abides by the “One China” policy. In 1979, the US formally switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
Washington recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China, but maintains close unofficial ties with Taiwan.
The US supplies Taiwan with defensive weaponry under the terms of the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, but it remains deliberately vague on whether it would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion — a policy known as “strategic ambiguity.”
In May, the U.S President, Joe Biden said that the U.S would send military to defend Taiwan if China invades the island nation.
President Biden stated this during a news conference in Tokyo alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida,
However, shortly after Biden’s assertion, a white spokesperson appeared to walk back Biden’s military intervention assertion. He said that the administration’s policy “has not changed,” adding that the president “reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.”
He said: “As the President said, our policy has not changed. He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.”
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
