‘Those Who Offend China Will Be Punished’: Beijing Vows Sanctions Over Pelosi's Visit to Taiwan
07:02 GMT 03.08.2022 (Updated: 12:44 GMT 19.06.2023)
© AP Photo / Taiwan Presidential Office In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a meeting with Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen, second from right, in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022
© AP Photo / Taiwan Presidential Office
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Beijing has repeatedly warned that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan would infringe upon the one-China principle and jeopardize US-China bilateral relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has promised to impose “tough” sanctions in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
“This is a complete farce. The United States is violating China's sovereignty under the guise of so-called 'democracy' […]. Those who offend China will be punished,” Wang said on the sidelines of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.
Wang also said that full reunification of China with Taiwan is “a general trend and a historic inevitability.”
Additionally, the top Chinese diplomat warned that Beijing “will leave no room for action to pro-Taiwan independence forces or interference from outside forces.”
Wang also argued that attempts to use Taiwan to contain China's development are doomed to failure, adding, “The United States should not have any illusions about undermining China's development and revival.”
He spoke as Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in the Chinese State Council, said on Wednesday that the US and Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party have become the perpetrators of the conflict and “the destroyers of peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait.
"The leadership of the Democratic Progressive Party, relying on external support, willingly took on the role of a pawn and stepped up provocations in the quest for independence. The US intensified its efforts to try to play the Taiwan card, continuously added fuel to the fire, making plans to contain China through Taiwan,” Ma pointed out.
He added that “No matter what tricks they [Washington and Taipei] use, how they embellish, they will not be able to whitewash themselves […].”
The remarks come after Pelosi met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei, stressing that the goal of her trip to the island was to "make it unequivocally clear that we [the US] will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan."
“American solidarity with Taiwan is crucial; that is the message we are bringing here, today,” she pointed out.
Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region, casting aside private warnings from the Biden administration about the risk that her high-profile diplomatic visit could bring and drawing a sharp response from the Chinese government.
In particular, Beijing began military drills in the northern, southwestern and southeastern waters off the coast of Taiwan.
Beijing - Washington Tensions Over Taiwan
China claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and has repeatedly warned against any contacts between Taiwanese officials and political leaders from other nations, the United States in particular.
Simmering Chinese-US tensions over Taiwan have deteriorated significantly during President Joe Biden's tenure amid the POTUS’ repeated promises to come to the island’s defense if it were “invaded” by China. In late 2021, Taiwan's Defense Ministry revealed that over 600 US military personnel have visited the island since 2019, in contravention of the One-China policy.
On top of that, the US has repeatedly sent its warships to the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing slamming such missions as provocations and labeling Washington the "destroyer of peace and stability" and "a security risk creator” in the region.