MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Beijing summons US ambassador over Pelosi's Taiwan bravado

The Chinese People's Liberation Army will conduct major military exercises, including live-fire drills in the sea areas on this map

The Government of Beijing Tuesday summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan despite China's advice against it.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng, who has a background in US affairs, delivered the US diplomat his country's strong condemnation for the move and pointed out that Pelosi's act was a deliberate provocation, in serious violation of the one-China principle and the three joint China-US communiqués.

“This has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations and seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Xie, who added that Pelosi's trip “seriously undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” while sending a seriously wrong signal to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan's independence.”

The Chinese official insisted that the US government must be held accountable for the lawmakers' trip as well as for other actions which constantly misrepresented and undermined the one-China principle, such as deleting key expressions in this regard from the US State Department's website, such as placing Taiwan within its so-called “Indo-Pacific strategy.”

The US openly raised its ties with Taiwan, increased arms sales to the region, and supported separatist activities in favor of Taiwan independence, Xie said.

Xie also pointed out that the US government acquiesced rather than restrained Pelosi's deliberate act, which has led to an escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait and seriously undermined China-US relations. He added that the US will pay the price for its mistakes and called on the administration of President Joseph Biden to “take practical steps to reverse the adverse effects stemming from Pelosi's visit.”

“The US should not move further down the wrong path, aggravate tensions or make the situation across the Taiwan Strait and China-US relations irreparable,” Xie said.

He also insisted the US should abide by the “five no's” agreed upon with China: not seeking a “new Cold War,” not trying to change China's system; revitalization of its alliances is not directed against China; not supporting “Taiwan independence”; not seeking conflict with China) and not moving further down a wrong and dangerous path.

Xie also insisted that the will of the people must not be defied and those who play with fire shall perish by it. “Taiwan is China's Taiwan and Taiwan will finally return to the embrace of the motherland. The Chinese people are not afraid of ghosts, pressure or evil,” Xie said.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said in a statement that the secessionist activities of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party and its collusion with the US to sell out national interests will only push the island into an abyss of disaster and bring great harm to Taiwan compatriots.

“Whatever Pelosi and her peers do in supporting ”Taiwan independence“ and containing China, they will by no means stop the historical process of China's reunification,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Chinese stocks tumbled Tuesday ahead of Pelosi's trip. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index went down 2.26% to 3,186.37 points, as investors fretted over the tensions between Beijing and Washington. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell more than 3%, while Taiwan's Taiex index was down 1.9% in early trading before recouping some losses.

Also Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union said that 181 countries in the world, including the US, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The spokesperson urged other countries to respect China's core interests and major concerns, abide by the one-China principle, be prudent on the Taiwan question in both words and deeds, and not support the wrong strategy of a certain country in trying to contain China with the Taiwan question.

While the USS Ronald Reagan and her armada were approaching Taiwan, China's news service Xinhua issued a global alert on the area where military drills are to be carried out between Aug. 2 and 4, due to which unauthorized vessels should refrain from sailing through those waters. A clear upgrade in response by China's military compared to previous moves is likely to continue in the near future, observers have pointed out to western news outlets.