TOKYO, Aug 5 (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday praised Taiwan, pledged U.S. solidarity and mentioned her trip by Asia, which led to unprecedented navy drills by an offended China, was by no means about altering the regional status quo.
Pelosi and a congressional delegation have been in Japan on the final stage of an Asian trip that included a quick and unannounced cease in Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers its personal – and prompted an infuriated Beijing to maintain live-fire drills in waters round Taiwan, with 5 missiles touchdown in Japan’s unique financial zone(EEZ).
Her cease in Taiwan, the highest-level go to by a U.S. official in 25 years, got here as Tokyo, certainly one of Washington’s closest allies, has develop into more and more alarmed about China’s rising would possibly within the Indo-Pacific and the chance that Beijing might take navy motion in opposition to Taiwan.
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“We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region,” she informed a information convention after assembly with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“The Chinese government is not pleased that our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one,” she added.
“It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan.”
China has condemned Pelosi’s trip, which took the delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea in addition to Taiwan and Japan.
Its state broadcaster mentioned the navy workouts, which started on Thursday – the day after Pelosi left Taiwan – and are set to finish on Sunday, could be the most important performed by China within the Taiwan Strait. The workouts have concerned reside hearth on the waters and within the airspace across the island.
Japan mentioned that 5 of 9 missiles fired in direction of its territory landed in its unique financial zone (EEZ). Tokyo lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident, which Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi termed “unprecedented.” learn extra
Pelosi lauded Taiwan’s democracy, financial successes and – in a veiled dig at China – its human rights document, noting assist by Taiwan, the primary Asian authorities to permit same-sex marriage, for LGBTQ rights.
“The fact is, I have said it again and again, if we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world,” she mentioned.
“China has some contradictions – some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, it’s been labelled a genocide.”
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a information convention whereas flanked by U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Human rights teams accuse Beijing of abuse in opposition to Xinjiang’s Uyghur ethnic group, accusations China rejects.
Delegation member House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Gregory Meeks was even blunter.
“They surely don’t want us to continue to talk about what’s happening in Xinjiang (with) the Uyghurs,” he mentioned.
“We’re going to speak up and speak out for human rights, human dignity, and democratic process. That’s what this trip was all about.”
WORRIED ALLY, MAINTAINING PEACE
Earlier, Pelosi met with Kishida, who mentioned afterwards that they might work collectively to keep peace and stability within the Taiwan Strait, a key delivery route – a view echoed by U.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel.
“It is clear that the U.S.-Japan Alliance will stand strong, shoulder-to-shoulder, to defend our interests and our values,” he mentioned in a press release.
Japan, whose southernmost islands are nearer to Taiwan than Tokyo, has warned that Chinese intimidation of Taiwan is an escalating nationwide safety risk. learn extra
Tensions between Japan and China additionally ramped up a notch on Thursday when China introduced {that a} assembly between the 2 nations’ international ministers, set to happen on the sidelines of an ASEAN assembly in Cambodia, had been referred to as off due to its displeasure with a G7 assertion urging Beijing to resolve the strain over Taiwan peacefully. learn extra
China summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing to lodge stern representations over its participation within the “erroneous” G7 assertion, its international ministry mentioned on Friday.
While visiting Japan in May, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned he could be keen to use pressure to defend Taiwan – a remark that appeared to stretch the bounds of the U.S. coverage of “strategic ambiguity” in direction of the island. learn extra
Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has additionally pledged to double navy spending to 2% of GDP.
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Additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Mariko Katsumura and Kentaro Sugiyama; writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by David Dolan, Stephen Coates & Simon Cameron-Moore
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
