China announced military exercises around Taiwan in response to Pelosi's visit | Magazine today
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi left Taipei today after completing her visit to Taiwan. After China issued a stern warning to the United States that he should not come on this visit, intense tension arose between the two countries.
During the visit, Miz Pelosi met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. At the same time, he praised Taiwan's determination and said that the United States' commitment to Taiwan will remain steadfast. President Tsai Ing-wen says China's military threat to his country is increasing, but Taiwan will not back down.
Ms Pelosi also met in Taipei with rights activists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. President Tsai Miz also awarded Pelosi Taiwan's highest civilian honor.
Prior to the visit, Ms. Pelosi also expressed her support for the one-China policy pursued by the United States.
In Washington, White House national security spokesman John Kerby said the US will not be intimidated by China's threats and rhetoric. He also said that China may engage in economic conflict with Taiwan and China-US relations will depend on China's future behavior.
Chinese military exercises around Taiwan
China considers Taiwan part of its own, and has repeatedly said it will retake the island "if necessary by force." But Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state.
In response to Ms Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has announced three days of military exercises on the island nation from Thursday.
The drills will use fresh ammunition and long-range missiles at six locations in the sea around Taiwan and will continue until Sunday.
'Major crisis could be brewing'
If Chinese warships or aircraft enter the 12-mile territorial waters - Taiwan may see it as aggression and think it has to do something to protect its own waters.
He said the US Navy is keeping a close eye on the situation and its aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan's 'Battle Group' is now heading for a nearby area in the Philippine Sea.
On the other hand, there are reports that the battle group of Chinese aircraft carriers is also heading towards the Taiwan Strait.
China's response
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Nancy Pelosi's visit a 'farce' - accusing the US of violating China's sovereignty in the name of so-called democracy.
The country's foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to Beijing to protest his visit. Apart from that, China has also banned the import of several products from Taiwan.
From Chinese government diplomats to several journalists and commentators, Nancy Pelosi's visit is strongly condemned in their tweets.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tweeted on August 2 that "the US is making itself an enemy of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and the outcome will not be good."
Former Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Shijin commented last week that the Chinese military had the right to shoot down Nancy Pelosi's plane. After this, his Twitter account was temporarily locked.
Now, he says, Taiwan's major ports are on virtual lockdown because of China's military drills — and that's the result of Ms. Pelosi's visit.
Can this tension take the form of war?
BBC correspondent Joshua Cheetham asked Professor Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He said that there is little chance of an immediate war.
"The Chinese don't yet have the ability to take Taiwan, confront the Americans and feel confident that they will win," he said.
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the US research institute Brookings Institute, said that a direct war would not be in anyone's interest.
However, he said, "No one can tell which way such a war will turn, it could easily take a global dimension, a nuclear threat could also be created."
Mr. "China is a concern for the US, but not as serious a threat as Russia," O'Hanlon told Us (magazinetodayy.blogspot.com).
According to him, Vladimir Putin has shown that he can take great risks to achieve his goals - but "I don't think China will take such a path unless it is absolutely committed to Taiwan."
