US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan on a US Air Force jet on Wednesday night, ending a historic visit that has drawn a backlash from China. Her next stop is South Korea. Beijing warned it would “punish” those who insult it, while Chinese state media described the speaker’s trip as “starting a war”. China says it will hold nearly a week of military drills that include live-fire drills in six zones around Taiwan, which the island has dubbed a “blockade.” Earlier, it imposed trade restrictions on certain food items and construction materials. Meanwhile, Russia backed China’s claim that the trip was a deliberate attempt by Washington to unnerve Beijing, while a Kremlin spokesman said the tension created by Ms Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan “should not be underestimated”. Ms Pelosi was presented with Taiwan’s highest political award during her meeting with Taiwan’s president earlier today, where she reaffirmed US support for democracy on the disputed island. “We will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” Ms. Pelosi said in a speech.
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ICYMI: Nancy Pelosi Quits Taiwan After Highly Controversial Visit Infuriates China
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up her highly controversial, historic visit to Taiwan on Wednesday amid massive criticism from China. Ms Pelosi is the first high-ranking US official in 25 years to visit Taiwan despite strong warnings from China. In fact, China had openly criticized her visit with Chinese state media calling the trip an “opening war”. However, she had said she and other members of Congress were visiting Taiwan to show they would “not abandon their commitment” to the self-ruled island. Maroosha Muzaffar has the details.
Nancy Pelosi is leaving Taiwan after a highly controversial visit
China has been trying to bully Taiwan by imposing trade restrictions, sending military aircraft close to Taiwan and summoned the US envoy to Beijing to protest strongly against Ms Pelosi’s visit. Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 4:00 am 1659578438
More important geopolitical news from the Senate
Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Asia isn’t the only thing shaking up the world stage. The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve Finland and Sweden becoming the 31st and 32nd members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, just under three months after President Joe Biden proposed allowing both nations to join the 73-year-old defense alliance. An overwhelming majority of senators – 48 Democrats and 48 Republicans – voted to allow both nations to join NATO, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority (67 votes) needed to ratify legislation that provides US support for the two potential members. NATO. Each of the current 30 member nations must agree unanimously before any new countries can join the alliance. Only one Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, voted against the expansion. Mr Hawley had previously announced that he would oppose allowing Finland and Sweden to join NATO because the US would be obliged to defend them from attack under Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO members have invoked Article V only once before: in 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Andrew Feinberg has more.
US Senate Votes 95-1 to Allow Finland and Sweden to Join NATO
Finland and Sweden will be the 31st and 32nd members of NATO Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 3:00 am 1659574838
The other Pelosi controversy
With much of the world focused on Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Asia, her husband Paul quietly pleaded not guilty Wednesday to DUI charges stemming from a May accident in Napa, California. See more about the case against Mr. Pelosi.
Nancy Pelosi’s husband charged with DUI in California
Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been charged with DUI by prosecutors in Northern California. Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 02:00 1659573638
Watch: File footage shows Nancy Pelosi unfurling a pro-democracy banner in Tiananmen Square
In 1991, Nancy Pelosi was part of a congressional delegation that visited China. Standing in Tiananmen Square, where two years earlier the Chinese government had massacred pro-democracy protesters, the group unfurled a banner that read, “TO THOSE WHO DIED FOR DEMOCRACY IN CHINA.” “I felt it was such a courageous and also formative, I would say, experience from her,” Samuel Chu, whose father the Reverend Chu Yiu-ming gave the delegates the banner, told The Washington Post on Tuesday. “I think that, in some ways, was a fundamental part of how he dealt with not just China and human rights, but I think more generally.” Watch a video of the historic gesture below. Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 1:40 am 1659572438
Japan ‘concerned’ about Chinese military exercises amid Pelosi’s Taiwan trip
US ally Japan is concerned about China’s plans to conduct live-fire drills around Taiwan amid House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial tour of Asia. “We are concerned that Beijing has announced various military activities,” a Japanese official told Newsweek. “Furthermore, the area China announced for its military exercises includes Japan’s EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone].” Dave Harding has more information on what China is planning. Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 1:20 am 1659571238
Nearly 3 million people watched Pelosi’s flight to Taiwan, the most ever
A whopping 2.9 million people watched part of Nancy Pelosi’s flight to Taiwan, the largest in the history of online flight tracking company Flightradar2, CNN reports. “Unprecedented, sustained interest in this particular flight has resulted in an extremely heavy load on the Flightradar24 infrastructure,” the aviation data company wrote on its blog. “Our teams immediately began efforts to maintain the stability of our services. Unfortunately, due to the volume of users, it was necessary to develop the lounge functionality, which measures access to Flightradar24 for non-subscribers.” Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 1:00 am 1659570038
Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan leaves Asian nations worried about what will happen next
Nancy Pelosi may be gone from Taiwan, but the impact of her visit will remain. According to diplomats, many are nervous about what China will do next. The rising global power will not want to let go unchallenged what it sees as an invasion of its territory in the island nation. However, in the words of a Singaporean diplomat, China “doesn’t want to start World War III” “What countries in this region know is that China cannot do anything — it will look weak… China has no choice but to react,” Singaporean diplomat and academic Kishore Mahbubani told NPR, adding, “ at the same time, China does not I do not want to start World War III.’ Some embassies in the region have called for restraint. The Philippines asked the US and China to avoid “any miscalculation and further escalation of tensions”. Meanwhile, Indonesia calls on “all parties to refrain from provocative actions that may worsen the situation.” Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 12:40 am 1659568212
What Pelosi’s Taiwan trip looks like on Weibo
Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan has sparked a wide range of opinions in the US, China and beyond. On Weibo, the popular Chinese social networking app, some users rallied behind the Chinese government’s perspective. “Pelosi ushered in a great era that is naturally ours,” read one popular comment. “We will take this opportunity to carry out sea and air patrols around Taiwan without any obstacles so that they will be steadily normalized and unification will come closer and closer.” “The Liberation Army is clearly training to completely blockade Taiwan Island,” said another popular hashtag. Josh Marcus August 4, 2022 12:10 AM 1659567458
What is it like to travel in Taiwan?
What is it like to visit Taiwan? Here’s a tantalizing quote from Sally Howard. I ate feather dumplings in atmospheric night markets. I looked for gilded Buddhist temples thick with the scent of sandalwood incense. I loved the oolong ceremonies in 16th century teahouses where I could almost hear the hustle and bustle of the Ming dynasty merchants. and hiked through Taiwan’s irrigatingly gorgeous interior. Here, marble canyons plunge into turquoise rivers and fissures in the earth’s crust bubble with the waters that feed Taiwan’s 130 hot springs (perfect for soothing hikers’ muscles once you’ve mastered hot-spring etiquette). Sounds very good to us! See her full account.
Still out of bounds: Why I can’t wait to go back to Taiwan
Sally Howard fell hard for this East Asian gem, with its stunning scenery, top-notch seafood and pop culture eccentricities Josh Marcus August 3, 2022 11:57 pm 1659566258
Pelosi suggests Chinese criticism of Taiwan trip is sexist
Nancy Pelosi has suggested that China’s furious response to her Taiwan trip may be sexist. At a joint news conference with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, Ms. Pelosi noted that recent visits by top U.S. male lawmakers had not produced the ruckus and threats seen in recent days. “I think they made a big fuss because I’m a speaker I guess,” he said. “I don’t know if that was a reason or an excuse, because they didn’t say anything when the men came.” Beijing warned the US was “playing with fire” and launched live-fire drills as Ms Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night, portraying the House Speaker’s visit as an affront to her ambitions to “reunify” with Taiwan. Bevan Hurley tracks this story for the Independent.
Pelosi suggests Chinese criticism of Taiwan trip is sexist
The Speaker of the House says China made a ‘big fuss’ about her visit, but they ‘didn’t say…
