Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025

US Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing’s warnings

"Visit ‘honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy’, Pelosi twitted. Beijing condemns Pelosi’s Taiwan trip, calls it a ‘serious violation’ of policy .

Beijing responds by announcing that live ammunition military drills will take place around the island from Thursday until Sunday.

Qin Gang, China’s ambassador to the US, says Pelosi’s visit will escalate tensions both across the Taiwan Strait and between Beijing and Washington. ‘US and separatist forces will be responsible for any consequences caused by this,’ according to a 1,143-word statement by Chinese officials.

“US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gone ahead with her visit to Taiwan disregarding China’s repeated opposition. The move has been a serious violation of the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, a serious undermining of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, a serious crush of political foundation of China-US relations, and sent a seriously wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” the statement said.

“China firmly opposes this and strongly condemns this, and has lodged serious representation with the US side.”

“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the country’s sovereignty and territory. The US and separatist forces will be responsible for any consequences caused by this,” it said.

The statement repeated Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s latest warning to US President Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday that anyone who “plays with fire” on the Taiwan matter “will get burnt”.

In the meantime, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced the beginning of joint military exercises off Taiwan as retaliation to Pelosi’s visit. The PLA statement blamed Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which President Tsai Ing-wen represents, for colluding with foreign forces and “insisting” on inviting Pelosi to the island.

China’s foreign ministry said it has summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns to “sternly express opposition” to Pelosi’s visit.

“The US government should have restrained Pelosi’s reckless actions and stopped her from going against the tides instead of acting in collusion and condoning her, escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait and damaging China-US relations,” state broadcaster CCTV quoted vice foreign minister Xie Feng as saying.

The blitz of responses by Beijing included an appearance on CNN by China’s ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, who said Pelosi’s trip would escalate tensions both across the Taiwan Strait and between Beijing and Washington.

“Nancy Pelosi is not a person in the street,” said Qin. “As speaker [she] is No 3 in the US government. So her visit in whatever form and at whatever time during her tenure carries high political sensitivities.”

Qin did not respond to questions about the live-fire drills, but said it was the PLA’s duty “to defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“We will take whatever [measures] we can to respond and to protect, to safeguard our sovereignty [and] territorial integrity, and our response will be very full, strong and forceful,” he said.

Pelosi explains her Taiwan trip as vital to defense of democracy, freedom.


Moments after the US speaker of the House lands in Taipei, The Washington Post publishes an essay in which she outlines the reasons for her visit.

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said her trip to Taiwan is a signal to the world that Washington stands with the self-governed island’s “vibrant, robust” democracy and has a “sacred vow” to support its defense amid growing threats from Beijing.

“In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom,” she wrote in an essay published in The Washington Post moments after she landed in Taipei on Tuesday, her first public comments outlining her reasons for the trip.

“We cannot stand by as the CCP proceeds to threaten Taiwan – and democracy itself,” she said. “By traveling to Taiwan, we honor our commitment to democracy: reaffirming that the freedoms of Taiwan – and all democracies – must be respected.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
×