Following her controversial trip, China halts dialogue on military and climate matters, while imposing sanctions on Pelosi and her family.
China has severed ties with the United States on multiple fronts in retaliation for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which Beijing deemed “provocative.” This includes suspending discussions on vital issues such as climate change and military relations. The Chinese government announced the suspension of eight cooperative measures, including the repatriation of illegal immigrants and military communications between the two countries.
In addition to halting these collaborations, China imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her family, accusing her of taking actions that “seriously interfere” in China’s internal affairs. The visit, which made Pelosi the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, sparked a strong response from Beijing, including extensive military drills around the self-governed island.
During her trip, Pelosi reaffirmed US support for Taiwan, asserting that the US would not allow China to isolate the island. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defence reported 68 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships conducting live-fire exercises in the region, with Taiwan forced to scramble fighter jets after 49 Chinese aircraft entered its air defence zone.
In response to China’s military actions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the “disproportionate and escalatory” measures taken by Beijing. He stated that China had taken its “dangerous acts to a new level” during a news conference at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia.
The tensions escalated further as China fired up to 11 ballistic missiles over and near Taiwan, some of which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called for an immediate halt to the exercises.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry criticised Pelosi’s visit, claiming it undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, violated the one-China policy, and threatened peace in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has been self-ruled since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War ended, and Beijing continues to regard it as part of its territory, reserving the right to bring it under Chinese control, even by force if necessary.
