Taiwan trip did not seek to change status quo: Pelosi
Tokyo, Aug 5 (EFE).- United States does not seek to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday in Japan.
“We said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia and the status quo in Taiwan,” Pelosi said during a press conference at the US embassy in Tokyo, the last stop on her Asia tour that has also taken her to Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, democracies that she sought to “celebrate” with the trip.
“It’s a ridiculous question,” Pelosi said when asked about speculation that her visit to Taipei was more about boosting her own legacy than to benefit Taiwan.
Infuriated with the visit, China has retaliated against Taiwan with live-fire drills and missile launches around the island, as well as economic measures.
The veteran US politician said that China has used her visit “as an excuse” for its display of muscle, and assured that the intention of the trip was always “to show our respect to these countries” visited, “to have peace in the Taiwan Straits and to have the status quo prevail.”
Pelosi said that despite the commitment of the US administration to maintain international order, “the Chinese have tried to isolate Taiwan,” vetoing its participation in international bodies and keeping it from receiving and carrying out visits, “but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there.”
“We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan. They are not doing our travel schedule. The Chinese government is not doing that. Our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one,” said Pelosi.
The speaker’s visit to Taiwan has overshadowed much of her Asia tour agenda.
“I don’t want the Taiwan visit to deflect attention from what really our purpose was,” Pelosi said, which is to continue advancing Washington’s relations with her allies in the region.
US President Joe Biden “made a tremendous focus on the Asian Pacific as very important in many areas in terms of security, in terms of economics and in terms of governance. This trip is to follow through with that,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi led a delegation made up of other representatives of the US Congress, members of committees dedicated to foreign affairs, armed services and economic policy. EFE
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