Tensions are high in China ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, with several Chinese warplanes flying near the middle line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait. Chinese warships and aircraft “tightened” the median line on Tuesday morning, an unusual move described by a Reuters source as “very provocative”. Normally aircraft of either side do not cross the median line. The development comes as China has repeatedly issued warnings about Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Over the weekend, Ms. Pelosi departed Washington with a group of five other members of the House for a congressional visit to the Indo-Pacific, which news reports said would include an overnight stay in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. Ms. Pelosi’s plans include visiting Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her office said publicly. Although Ms. Pelosi’s public comments did not mention Taiwan, a visit to the island is scheduled to take place at some point during the trip, according to reports by CNN, the Financial Times and others. The visit would be the first by a House speaker since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich went there in 1997.
Basic points
Nancy Pelosi said she will visit Taiwan on Tuesday Chinese ships, planes move near the middle line of the Taiwan Strait The White House promises a “safe” trip Pelosi’s office has not yet confirmed the Taiwan trip Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan ‘playing with fire’, says Chinese president
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Asian shares fall amid concerns over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
Asian shares fell mainly on Tuesday amid regional stability concerns over a possible visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 1.4 percent to 27,594.73. South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.5 percent at 2,439.62. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 2.5 percent to 19,675.675 percent at 19,675.675.82, while the index . “Risk sentiment took a hit after reports suggested US House Speaker Pelosi will continue her visit to Taiwan. Investors are likely to look for defensive positions as the geopolitical situation could escalate in the coming days,” said Anderson Alves of ActivTrades. Stephen Innes, chief executive of SPI Asset Management said “the first big point of relief will be Pelosi’s safe arrival in Taiwan, followed by her safe departure.” “Neither party wants a real war, but the risk of mishap or even escalation of an aggressive war game is there, which could always lead to a tactical error.” (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Sravasti Dasgupta August 2, 2022 10:15 am 1659430807
Four US Navy warships have been deployed east of Taiwan
Four US Navy warships, including an aircraft carrier, have been deployed in waters east of Taiwan on “routine” deployments amid reports of a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan had passed through the South China Sea and was currently in the Philippine Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, a US Navy official confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday. The vessel operates a guided-missile cruiser, the USSR Antietam, and a destroyer, the USSR Higgins. “While they are able to respond to any eventuality, these are normal, routine deployments,” the official added. The official said the amphibious assault ship USSR Tripoli was also in the area as part of a deployment to the region that began in early May from its home port of San Diego. Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 10:00 AM 1659429907
Pelosi is expected to arrive in Taiwan
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was in Malaysia on Tuesday morning, is expected to arrive in Taipei by this evening. AFP published this photo of a view of the air base where Ms. Pelosi is expected to arrive. A general view shows the main entrance of Sungshan Air Force Base in Taipei on August 2, 2022, where US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to land. (AFP via Getty Images) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 09:45 1659429307
‘Win hearts and minds’ in Taiwan, Hong Kong, says Chinese president
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the Communist Party to “win the hearts and minds” of people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as part of a “national rejuvenation”. “The united front… is an important assurance for (the Chinese Communist Party) to defeat the enemy, rule and revitalize the country, and rally all the Chinese people both at home and abroad to carry out national rejuvenation” , said Xi. a Beijing conference on United Front Work, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Stressing that “profound changes” not seen in a century were taking place globally, the Chinese president said the United Front’s efforts were “even more important”. This should include efforts to “strike the right balance between community and diversity” at home and “win the hearts and minds of people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese,” he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping (Average PA) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 09:35 1659428407
US jet that flew Pelosi to Malaysia departs
A US Air Force jet carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Malaysia has departed the capital Kuala Lumpur, Reuters reported, citing flight-tracking website Flightradar24 and witnesses. It is not yet known whether Ms. Pelosi or her delegation was on the plane or not. The speaker is expected to arrive in Taipei later on Tuesday. (DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION MALAYSIA) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 09:20 1659427207
Asian nations urge US, China to act responsibly amid Pelosi visit
After Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong “stressed the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security” during talks with Nancy Pelosi on Monday, similar statements have come from other Asian neighbors. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said strong ties between the two rival powers “are extremely important to the international community as well.” The Philippines also urged the US and China to be “responsible actors” in the region. “It is important for the US and China to ensure continuous communication to avoid any miscalculation and further escalation of tensions,” said Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Teresita Daza. (EPA) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 09:00 1659426307
China is contacting the US about Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan
China is in communication with the US about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday. Ms. Pelosi has yet to confirm a trip to Taiwan. Local media reported that the speaker, who is now in Malaysia, will fly to Taipei on Tuesday night. Local reporters film outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel where US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to stay during her visit to Taipei, Taiwan, August 2, 2022. (EPA) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 08:45 1659425407
US warns China not to turn Pelosi’s visit into conflict
The US said there was no reason for China to turn House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan into a conflict. “There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit in line with long-standing US policy into some kind of crisis or conflict or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” he said. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. he told reporters on Monday. “Meanwhile our actions are non-threatening and do not break new ground. Nothing about this potential visit – potential visit, which, by the way, has precedent – would change the status quo.” (Getty Images) Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 08:30 1659423607
Pentagon thinks Pelosi’s Taiwan trip ‘not a good idea’ – Biden
Last month US President Joe Biden said the Pentagon believes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is “not a good idea”. Shweta Sharma of the Independent reports:
Pentagon thinks Pelosi’s Taiwan trip ‘not a good idea’, Biden says after China fury
Biden says he plans to speak with the Chinese president by the end of August Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 08:00 1659421807
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan “playing with fire”, warned the Chinese president
US President Joe Biden had a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday and agreed to a face-to-face meeting. During the 20-minute phone conversation, Mr Xi did however issue a warning that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan it would amount to “playing with fire”. A senior administration official told reporters that Biden and Xi engaged in a “direct and frank discussion” on the issue and said the US president “reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to our one China policy, led by Taiwan Relations Act. three joint communiqués and six assurances” — standard diplomatic language that sets out the ambiguous US position on the island’s de facto independence.
Biden, Xi agree to meet in person as China warns against ‘playing with fire’ in Taiwan
News that the leaders of the world’s two largest economies agreed to a one-on-one meeting comes amid heightened Sino-US tensions over Taiwan, which the People’s Republic of China considers a rogue province, although the US has long maintained a political strategic ambiguity towards the island. Sravasti Dasgupta2 August 2022 07:30
