China threatens 'strong' countermeasures against US & Taiwan as Pelosi concludes successful visit to Taipei

Beijing: An infuriated China on Wednesday vowed to take "strong and resolute" countermeasures against the US and Taiwan for violating the one-China principle, as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi successfully completed her high-profile visit to Taipei disregarding Beijing's harsh statements and live-fire military drills.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it and has long vowed to reunify the island with the Chinese mainland, by force if necessary.

Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, the first by a sitting US Speaker in 25 years, has angered China. As the 82-year-old top Democrat left Taiwan, there were already signs of the strains her visit to Taipei had placed on Washington's testy relationship with Beijing -- which warned the Biden administration that her trip would have a "severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations." "We will do what we have said. Please have some patience," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told a media briefing here while responding to questions on what more actions China could take apart from lodging diplomatic protests with the US, conducting military exercises around the Taiwan island and banning some food imports from Taipei.

"We will do what we say. These measures will be strong, effective and resolute,” Hua, who is also the Assistant Chinese Foreign Minister, said to a question whether China plans to impose sanctions against Pelosi as well as Taiwan leaders like President Tsai Ing-wen.

Pelosi’s successful visit to Taiwan has left questions about the efficacy of Beijing’s high-voltage rhetoric ahead of her visit as it added more pressure to act after she left the island.

Pelosi arrived on Tuesday night by a US Air Force jet to Taipei amid intense speculation about adverse actions by Beijing. Interestingly, her delegation included Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Pelosi left Taipei on Wednesday amid the glare of international publicity and leaving a trail of anger and bitterness in China.

“Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” Pelosi said during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai.

"America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad," she said.

In Washington, the White House on Tuesday slammed China for its recent actions and statements and charged that Beijing is using the trip as a pretext to increase its aggressive behaviour.

“There's no reason for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with longstanding US policy into some sort of crisis or use it as a pretext to increase aggressiveness and military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait now or beyond her travel,” John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications told reporters while commenting on Pelosi's visit.

Pelosi’s visit is totally consistent with America’s longstanding one-China policy, he said, adding that the US does not support Taiwan independence.

Observers say her successful visit to Taiwan has put pressure on Beijing as it dented the strong man image of President Xi Jinping, who in the next few months was expected to be endorsed for an unprecedented third term to continue in power for another five years or perhaps for life by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

Hua defended the drills by the Chinese military around Taiwan as well as the deployment of fighter jets in the Taiwan Straits during Pelosi’s visit, saying China was compelled to act in self-defence after her visit which has violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The root cause of the tensions is that the Taiwan authorities have been using the strength of the US to seek Taiwan’s independence, Hua said.

About criticism by some that China has failed to prevent Pelosi from visiting Taiwan, Hua said the US politicians are putting up a “political stunt” for their personal gains.

As for the specific countermeasures China will be taking, the Chinese side is deeply committed to upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests, Hua said.

"We are determined to do that, there should be no questions about that. Our countermeasures will be strong, effective and resolute,” she said.

Earlier, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng "urgently summoned" the US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns late Tuesday night and lodged stern representations and strong protests over Pelosi's visit.

He said the US should stop playing the "Taiwan card", stop using Taiwan to contain China in any form, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

Xie said that Pelosi risks universal condemnation for deliberately provoking and playing with fire, Xie said this is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques.

"There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated on Tuesday.

Military experts said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) could send drones over Taiwan and conduct regular drills in the coming weeks to vent its anger over Pelosi’s visit.

One analyst described the prospect of unprecedented PLA unmanned aircraft flights over Taiwan, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Fu Qianshao, a retired equipment expert from the PLA Air Force, said Thursday's drills by the PLA showed for the first time that Beijing did not recognise Taiwan’s territorial waters.

Meanwhile, in an op-ed in The Washington Post, Pelosi said in the face of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation's visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, its democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom.