China’s Foreign Ministry has said that it would be issuing sanctions against US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her family following the latter’s visit to Taiwan
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Pelosi was “seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs and seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Beijing claimed that Pelosi had disregarded China’s objections over her visit to the island.
Immediately after Pelosi’s military aircraft landed in Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng had told him that the visit was extremely egregious with extremely serious consequences. He also had said that China would not sit idly by.
China announced on Friday that over a hundred warplanes and ten warships had participated in live-fire military drills near Taiwan during the previous two days.
According to a report from China’s official Xinhua News Agency, fighters, bombers, destroyers, and frigates were all involved.
Currently, in Japan, Pelosi issued a statement on Friday that China’s isolation of Taiwan would “not be allowed” by the US.
The Chinese Communist Party says that self-ruled, democratic Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and has promised to one day take it.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan will not back down and would continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.
President Ing-wen also thanked Pelosi for concrete actions taken showing support at a critical moment.
