China, US warn and hold each other responsible of any consequences as tensions around Taiwan island region escalates
AMN / WEB DESK
Taiwan is bracing for a potential show of force from China as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was expected to arrive on the island late Tuesday. China and the US have warned and held each other responsible of any consequences as tensions around the Taiwan island region escalated hours ahead of the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to the democratically governed island, claimed by China as its province.
Media reports said that Pelosi might land in Taiwan on Tuesday night even though there is no official word on her visit to Taiwan as she started her Asia tour on Monday with Singapore as first stop. Her itinerary also includes Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, but reports of a possible Taiwan visit has enraged Beijing as it termed such a high-level visit as interference in China’s internal affairs.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying who is also Assistant Foreign Minister repeated China’s rhetoric on Tuesday at regular press briefing in Beijing saying that the US side will certainly shoulder the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China’s sovereignty and security interests. Chinese spokespersons have been issuing warnings of military action since the report of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan surfaced. Ms. Hua also said that Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has no plan to meet with US Secretary of State Blinken at the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh which will take place from Aug. 3 to 5. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held a phone call last Thursday. Beijing’s readout said he had warned the U.S. president not to “play with fire” over Taiwan while US officials said Biden told Xi that Pelosi has “the right to visit Taiwan” and promised that her safety would be ensured throughout her trip.
According to media reports, the military deployment from the Chinese side, US and Taiwan have continued to build up in the region, increasing the tensions and possibility of a miscalculation. Chinese fighter jets also flew in Taiwan’s Air Defense Zone. China’s military has also announced military exercises in some areas of the South China Sea and Bohai sea Aug. 2 to Aug 6, with entry prohibited during this time. A Chinese expert participating in a discussion on English arm of Chinese state TV said that this crisis may turn out to be an opportunity for China to enter Taiwanese airspace and territorial waters and break this inability.