Taipei: US Senator Marsha Blackburn Live Taiwan Late Thursday, a US politician’s fourth visit this month and a move to anger Beijing, which has conducted massive military exercises to oppose such visits.
Tension between China and China United States of america have reached their highest level in decades House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit marked the beginning of Beijing’s unprecedented demonstrations around the island earlier this month.
Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, landed at Taipei’s Songshan airport in a small US government plane shortly before midnight in what Taiwan’s foreign ministry said was a solo trip.
“I just landed in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing – we will not be bullied,” she tweeted.
“The United States is determined to preserve freedoms around the world, and will not tolerate attempts to undermine our nation and our allies.”
In a separate statement, Blackburn said she was looking forward to “meeting with leaders in Taipei to advance and strengthen our partnership”.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it was “grateful that the people of the US Congress have once again demonstrated their steadfast support and commitment to Taiwan” at a time “when China continues to escalate its threat”.
Beijing claims the self-governing democratic island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it – by force if necessary.
It condemns any diplomatic action that legitimizes Taiwan and reacts with growing anger at visits by Western officials and politicians.
Pelosi, second only to the US presidency after the vice president, was the highest-ranked US official elected to visit Taiwan in decades.
For a week after its visit, Beijing sent warships, missiles and jets into the waters and skies around the island, the largest military exercise of its kind since the mid-1990s.
Taiwan has accused Beijing of using Pelosi’s visit as a pretext to launch exercises that could serve as a rehearsal for an invasion.
Chinese military figures have spoken publicly about the drills going dry for a possible blockade of Taiwan.
While the Biden administration was quietly opposing Pelosi’s visit, the United States maintains a separation of powers between its executive and legislative branches, and has repeatedly stated publicly that it has the right to travel.
Another congressional delegation led by Senator Ed Markey visited Taiwan shortly after Pelosi, while China was still conducting its military exercises.
Then earlier this week, Republican Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana arrived on the heels of announcing trade talks between Washington and Taipei in the coming months.
Blackburn, who sits on managing committeeThe Commerce and Armed Services Committees of the U.S. are vocal supporters of the former president Donald Trump,
In 2020, she tweeted that “China has a 5,000-year history of fraud and theft” – a message that provoked widespread anger within the country.
Beijing has taken an increasingly warlike approach to Taiwan under President Xi Jinping, China’s most authoritarian leader in a generation.
Relations soured after the 2016 election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as a sovereign nation and not part of China.
Like most countries, the United States officially recognizes China over Taiwan but remains a major ally of Taipei and maintains de facto diplomatic relations with the island.
Washington’s official policy opposes Taiwan’s declaration of independence and China’s forcible change of the island’s status.
Tension between China and China United States of america have reached their highest level in decades House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit marked the beginning of Beijing’s unprecedented demonstrations around the island earlier this month.
Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, landed at Taipei’s Songshan airport in a small US government plane shortly before midnight in what Taiwan’s foreign ministry said was a solo trip.
“I just landed in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing – we will not be bullied,” she tweeted.
“The United States is determined to preserve freedoms around the world, and will not tolerate attempts to undermine our nation and our allies.”
In a separate statement, Blackburn said she was looking forward to “meeting with leaders in Taipei to advance and strengthen our partnership”.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it was “grateful that the people of the US Congress have once again demonstrated their steadfast support and commitment to Taiwan” at a time “when China continues to escalate its threat”.
Beijing claims the self-governing democratic island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it – by force if necessary.
It condemns any diplomatic action that legitimizes Taiwan and reacts with growing anger at visits by Western officials and politicians.
Pelosi, second only to the US presidency after the vice president, was the highest-ranked US official elected to visit Taiwan in decades.
For a week after its visit, Beijing sent warships, missiles and jets into the waters and skies around the island, the largest military exercise of its kind since the mid-1990s.
Taiwan has accused Beijing of using Pelosi’s visit as a pretext to launch exercises that could serve as a rehearsal for an invasion.
Chinese military figures have spoken publicly about the drills going dry for a possible blockade of Taiwan.
While the Biden administration was quietly opposing Pelosi’s visit, the United States maintains a separation of powers between its executive and legislative branches, and has repeatedly stated publicly that it has the right to travel.
Another congressional delegation led by Senator Ed Markey visited Taiwan shortly after Pelosi, while China was still conducting its military exercises.
Then earlier this week, Republican Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana arrived on the heels of announcing trade talks between Washington and Taipei in the coming months.
Blackburn, who sits on managing committeeThe Commerce and Armed Services Committees of the U.S. are vocal supporters of the former president Donald Trump,
In 2020, she tweeted that “China has a 5,000-year history of fraud and theft” – a message that provoked widespread anger within the country.
Beijing has taken an increasingly warlike approach to Taiwan under President Xi Jinping, China’s most authoritarian leader in a generation.
Relations soured after the 2016 election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as a sovereign nation and not part of China.
Like most countries, the United States officially recognizes China over Taiwan but remains a major ally of Taipei and maintains de facto diplomatic relations with the island.
Washington’s official policy opposes Taiwan’s declaration of independence and China’s forcible change of the island’s status.