US: Pelosi visit consistent with policy, no need for China to turn it into crisis

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to meet Taiwan’s top leadership, including the president, in the highest-level exchange between the two sides in 25 years, during which time Washington had gradually ceded to Beijing’s claim over Taiwan. In a statement upon her arrival, Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said the visit “honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy”.
“Our discussions with Taiwan’s leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said, adding, “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. ”
US officials argued Pelosi is not the first American lawmaker, nor her delegation the first US legislative team to visit Taipei, and therefore China should not throw an unnecessary tantrum about it. “There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with long-standing US policy into some sort of crisis,” a US National Security Council spokesperson said ahead of the Pelosi landing, maintaining there was no change in US policy. But given
her high profile and the growing tensions between China and US, it became a heated issue, with domestic constituencies in both countries cranking up the temperature.
Pelosi herself, at 82, is widely respected for her fiercely independent stand that often clashes with Washington’s executive establishment. She is an open critic of China’s communist leadership. She is also a supporter of the Dalai Lama, meeting him not only during his visits to the US, but also seeking him out in Dharamsala.