A delegation of American lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday August 14 for a two-day visit, against a background “military tensions with China”reports the Taipei Times.
This trip takes place less than two weeks after the “controversial visit”, according to the words of New York TimesSpeaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi on August 3, “which infuriated China and led to intense Chinese military exercises off the coast of the island”.
Four Democrats and one Republican
The American Institute in Taiwan, que le Taipei Times described as “the de facto US Embassy in Taipei”said the delegation was led by Democratic Senator Ed Markey (Massachusetts), accompanied by Democratic Representatives John Garamendi (California), Alan Lowenthal (California) and Don Beyer (Virgnia), and Republican Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen ( American Samoa), as part of a wider visit to the Indo-Pacific region.
The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said the delegation would meet President Tsai Ing-wen. Visit “Once again demonstrates the strong support of the United States Congress for Taiwan”as well as its commitment to work with democratic partners to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region, said Taiwanese presidential spokesman Xavier Chang.
“The United States continues to cause tensions”
Sunday, China had not yet reacted to this displacement, notes the Washington Post. But the Global Timesone of the first Chinese media to report on it, headlined: “The United States continues to cause tension in the strait with the sneaky visit of lawmakers and will have to face ‘firm countermeasures’”. The People’s Liberation Army military exercises encircling the island of Taiwan have sent a loud and clear warning signal, but some US politicians continue to ” play with fire “said Chinese experts interviewed by the newspaper.
For the Wall Street Journalthis visit by a delegation « bipartisane » is ‘the latest development to raise questions about US intentions regarding the island’s relationship with China’. She is likely “to rekindle tensions after China encircled the island with live ammunition military exercises in response to the visit of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi earlier this month”.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China and has sworn to take control of the island by force if necessary, recalls the American daily. On Wednesday, China announced the end of exercises around Taiwan, but said it wanted to continue to carry out regular patrols in the Taiwan Strait.