The White House once again refused to stand behind United States (US) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she made her historic visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre simply reiterating that the Speaker “has the right to go to Taiwan” but it does not change Washington’s one-China policy.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre stated, “What we are saying is that we cannot dictate and we will not dictate where members of Congress go,” adding, “Our part of this is to make sure we give them a thorough and complete briefing when it comes to the geopolitics of the region or the state, or when it comes to national security.”
I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
However, she refused to be drawn on whether the Biden administration agreed with her visit, simply saying the US “will not seek and does not want a crisis here. But we are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do.”
National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, meanwhile, appeared to offer a little bit more detail on where the White House stands, revealing in a press conference on Monday, before Pelosi’s visit, that Washington opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”
As House Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the White House 'will not engage in sabre-rattling' but that the U.S. is prepared to 'manage what Beijing chooses to do' https://t.co/fe1iv8oqjN pic.twitter.com/PHIsGcU31W
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 3, 2022
“We have said that we do not support Taiwan independence. And we have said that we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means,” he asserted. Moreover, Kirby noted that Beijing is aware that Congress is an independent government branch; therefore, Pelosi is slated to “make her own decisions.” He also pointed out that there was no reason for China to turn the visit into “some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait.”
Along the same lines, National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan attempted to play down the significance of Pelosi’s visit in an interview with NPR on Wednesday, saying it was “not out of the historical norm.” “Members of Congress travel there all the time, and a speaker of the House has previously travelled there as well,” he noted in reference to Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s 1997 visit to the country.
The White House has repeatedly maintained its unchanged stance concerning China based on the Three Joint Communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances.
Though it has sought to stress on Pelosi’s independence, President Joe Biden had cautioned last month that the “military thinks it’s not a good idea right now” for the Speaker to go to Taiwan.
SC & FM Wang Yi: The U.S. is playing the dirty tricks to encroach upon China’s sovereignty under the guise of “democracy”. Those who play with fire will not come to a good end. pic.twitter.com/CPMXfM9vwQ
— Liu Pengyu 刘鹏宇 (@SpoxCHNinUS) August 3, 2022
However, Pelosi defended that the Congressional delegation’s (CODEL) visit to the self-governing island “honours” the US’ “unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy” in a statement. Furthermore, in a reference to Russia’s war against Ukraine, which some have said could inspire China to launch a similar invasion of Taiwan, the speaker said the US’ “solidarity” with Taiwan is “more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”
Additionally, in an opinion piece in The Washington Post that was published on Tuesday, Pelosi wrote, “We cannot stand by as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proceeds to threaten Taiwan — and democracy itself.” “By traveling to Taiwan, we honour our commitment to democracy: reaffirming that the freedoms of Taiwan — and all democracies — must be respected,” she asserted, declaring that “it is essential that America and our (its) allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats.”
That's why China was forced to “speak” to them in a way and with the "language" that they can understand.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 3, 2022
Following Pelosi’s visit, Beijing condemned the “serious violation” of the one-China principle and the three joint communiqués signed by the two sides and said Pelosi’s trip indicates Washington’s desire to “upgrade official exchanges” with Taipei, “change the status quo,” and seek a “new Cold War.”
It argued that the US is attempting to “use Taiwan to contain China,” alleging that it “constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence.”” Reiterating a threat that Chinese President Xi Jinping had delivered to his US counterpart Biden last week, its foreign ministry warned: “These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.”
Facts have proved that it is the US side, not others, that has reneged on its commitments, triggered the crisis and undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait!
— Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) August 3, 2022
The foreign ministry also summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns, with Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng saying the US must be “held accountable” for “openly upgrading ties” with Taiwan by ramping up arms sales and “supporting separatist activities.”
Furthermore, in a press conference on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called Pelosi’s visit to be an “ugly political stunt” meant to favour her own “self-serving” career. “What she has done is definitely not about upholding or defending democracy, but a provocation and infringement on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she remarked. She also vowed that Beijing will retaliate with “resolute, strong and effective” measures.
China unveiled countermeasures in response to Pelosi’s provocative Taiwan visit, including staging military drills, punishing organizations related to die-hard “Taiwan independence” elements, & suspending natural sand exports to and imports of some farm produce from Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/G8ihgGQIlS
— Zhang Heqing张和清 (@zhang_heqing) August 4, 2022
Simultaneously, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian announced that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been placed on “high alert” and will undertake a “series of targeted military operations.” To this end, the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted a “series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island” on Tuesday evening. The PLA also carried out a multi-zone fire assault drill off the coast of Taiwan on Thursday.
The Taiwanese defence ministry confirmed that China launched a series of ballistic missiles near waters surrounding northeast and southwest Taiwan. It also claimed that its website sustained cyber attacks and was temporarily taken offline.