Taiwan: Pelosi leaves Taipei to sound of Chinese fury - BBC

US Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after a brief but controversial visit. Ms Pelosi - the most senior US politician to visit in 25 ... Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,SpeakerPelosiheldalandmarkmeetingwithTaiwanesePresidentTsaiByMattMurphy&PatrickJacksonBBCNewsUSSpeakerNancyPelosihasleftTaiwanafterabriefbutcontroversialvisit.MsPelosi-themostseniorUSpoliticiantovisitin25years-departedonWednesdayaftermeetingleadersinthecapitalTaipei.Buthervisit,aspartofawiderAsiantour,sparkedfuryinBeijingaftersheignoreditswarningsnottotraveltotheisland.Taiwanisself-ruled-butChinaseesitasabreakawayprovincethatwilleventuallyunitewithit.AccusingtheUSof"violatingChina'ssovereigntyundertheguiseofso-calleddemocracy",ChineseForeignMinisterWangYisaid:"ThosewhoplaywithfirewillnotcometoagoodendandthosewhooffendChinawillbepunished."Inastatementfollowingthevisit,MsPelosisaidChinacannot"preventworldleadersoranyonefromtravelingtoTaiwantopayrespecttoitsflourishingdemocracy,tohighlightitsmanysuccessesandtoreaffirmourcommitmenttocontinuedcollaboration".TheseniorUSDemocrat'svisitwasnotapprovedbyherpartycolleague,PresidentJoeBiden,whohadsaidtheAmericanmilitaryfeltitwas"notagoodidearightnow"amidheightenedtensionsbetweenthetwocountries.TheUSwalksadiplomatictightropewithitsTaiwanpolicy.Ontheonehand,itabidesbythe"OneChina"policy,whichrecognisesonlyoneChinesegovernment,givingitformaltieswithBeijingandnotTaiwan.Ontheother,itmaintainsa"robustunofficial"relationshipwiththeisland,whichincludessellingweaponsforTaiwantodefenditself.AsspeakeroftheUSHouseofRepresentatives,MsPelosiissecondinlinetotheUSpresidency,behindVice-PresidentKamalaHarris.TaiwanputstheballfirmlyinXiJinping'scourtInresponsetothetrip,Chinaannouncedwhatitcalled"necessaryandjust"militarydrillsinseasaround10miles(16km)fromTaiwan.Theexercises-whichwillbeginonThursdayandlastforfivedays-willtakeplaceinsomeoftheworld'sbusiestwaterwaysandwillinclude"long-rangeliveammunitionshooting".China'sdefenceministryhasadmittedthatsomeexercisesmaybreachTaiwan'sterritorialwaters.Inrecentdays,Chinesewarplanesventuredasfarasthemedianline,theunofficialdivideseparatingChinaandTaiwaninthewatersbetweenthem.TaiwanhasaskedshipstofindalternativeroutestoavoidthedrillsandisnegotiatingwithneighbouringJapanandthePhilippinestofindalternativeaviationroutes.PresidentTsaiIng-wensaidthecountrywasfacing"deliberatelyheightenedmilitarythreats".Inanefforttocalmthesituation,theforeignministersfromtheG7nations-Canada,France,Germany,Italy,Japan,theUKandUS-releasedajointstatementsayingChina'sescalationriskeddestabilisingtheregion."ThereisnojustificationtouseavisitaspretextforaggressivemilitaryactivityintheTaiwanStrait.Itisnormalandroutineforlegislatorsfromourcountriestotravelinternationally,"thestatementsaid.Taiwan'sPelosilove-inAnalysisbyRupertWingfield-Hayes,BBCNews,TaipeiThereisafull-onPelosilovefesthappeninginTaiwan'scapital,Taipei.YoucanseeitintheexcitedwayNancyPelosi'sarrivalhereisbeingreportedonTaiwan'smanyTVnewschannels.Theyhavebeenstudyingeverythingfromthecolourofheroutfitstotheheightofherheels,(veryhighforan82-year-oldapparently)andthefactthatshe"lookedlikeAudreyHepburninthatphotoofherwithPresidentJohnF.Kennedybackin1961".CrowdsgatheredearlyoutsideTaiwan'sparliamentonWednesday,hopingtogetaglimpseofMsPelosiasshecameout.AlmosteveryonetherebrushedoffworriesthatChinamightretaliate."Chinaisbluffing,"saida70-year-oldman."Itmayretaliateintheshortterm,butifBeijingover-reacts,itwillbepunishedbytheUnitedStates.""Chinashouldn'tbullyTaiwanlikethis"a50-year-oldhousewifetoldus."Thistripisnormal...ifChinacontinueslikethisitwillonlyalienatemorecountries."ButtoChinathistripisanythingbutnormal.ToBeijingitisanoutrageousbreachofdiplomaticnorms.ReadRupert'sfullanalysis.DuringameetingwithMsTsai,MsPelosipraisedTaiwanas"inspirationtoallfreedom-lovingpeople"."Fortythreeyearsago,AmericamadeapromisetoalwaysstandwithTaiwan...todayourdelegationcametoTaiwantomakeitunequivocallyclearwewillnotabandonourcommitmenttoTaiwan,"shesaid.WhilethetopDemocrat'svisithasbeenwelcomedinTaiwan,ithassomewhatsplitopinionintheUS.SomecommentatorsspeculatedthatthevisitcouldevenpushChinatosupplyarmstoRussiaforuseinUkraine-somethingithassofarrefusedtodo.Butshehasreceivedsupportfromsomeperhapsunexpectedquarters,with26Republicansenatorswritingaletterinsupportofthevisit.Theletter,whosesignatoriesincludedSenateminorityleaderMitchMcConnell,saidthat"fordecades,membersoftheUnitedStatesCongress,includingpreviousSpeakersoftheHouse,havetravelledtoTaiwan".Thetrip,itadded,was"consistentwiththeUnitedStates'OneChinapolicytowhichwearecommitted".Whatisthe'OneChina'policy?ChinaandTaiwan:ThebasicsWhydoChinaandTaiwanhavepoorrelations?Chinaseestheself-ruledislandasapartofitsterritoryandinsistsitshouldbeunifiedwiththemainland,byforceifnecessaryHowisTaiwangoverned?Theislandhasitsownconstitution,democraticallyelectedleaders,andabout300,000activetroopsinitsarmedforcesWhorecognisesTaiwan?OnlyafewcountriesrecogniseTaiwan.MostrecognisetheChinesegovernmentinBeijinginstead.TheUShasnoofficialtieswithTaiwanbutdoeshavealawwhichrequiresittoprovidetheislandwiththemeanstodefenditself.ChinaandTaiwan:AreallysimpleguideAdditionalreportingbyTiffanyWertheimerMoreonthisstoryChinavowsconsequencesifPelosivisitsTaiwan27JulyXiandBidenexchangewarningsonTaiwan29JulyRelatedTopicsChinaTaiwanNancyPelosiJoeBidenTopStoriesNatocountriestoboostUkraine'smissiledefencePublished3hoursagoRussiaannexationcondemnedbyUNGeneralAssemblyPublished2hoursagoTheteacherwhosehandwascutoffforanexampaperFeaturesIndianteacherwhosehandwascutoffforanexampaperWhatisVladimirPutinthinkingandplanning?'Thenerdemojiisnotwhoweare'Video'Thenerdemojiisnotwhoweare'CanabillionaireinspireordinaryTaiwanesetofight?HowFinlandcanhelpUSfightfakenewsAfricancontemporaryartenjoyingasurgeininterest'AmilitarydroneisflyingovermycityasIwrite'WhoisPutin'shard-linenewcommanderinUkraine?Iranprotester:'Youknowyoumightnevercomeback'ElsewhereontheBBCWhya1922horrorfilmstillterrifiesThekidsbeingraisedwithoutgenderThephenomenonofeyecolourchangeMostRead1NatocountriestoboostUkraine'smissiledefence2AlexJonestoldtopay$965mtoSandyHookfamilies3RussiaannexationcondemnedbyUNGeneralAssembly4Nursekilledbabyandsentparentscard,jurytold5Indianteacherwhosehandwascutoffforanexampaper6CanabillionaireinspireordinaryTaiwanesetofight?7TopLAcityleaderquitsoverracistremarksleak8AngerovergraphicBalibombingsmemorialvideo9Ex-cultureministerleadsElginMarblesreturnbid10WhatisVladimirPutinthinkingandplanning?