In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, and Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen wave during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting top officials in Taiwan despite warnings from China, said Wednesday that she and other congressional leaders in a visiting delegation are showing they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:47 AM PT – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) met with Taiwanese leadership amid increasing tensions with Communist China. On Wednesday, she held a joint press conference with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in a show of solidarity between their two countries. The House Speaker outlined the purpose for her highly contested visit.
“On our visits as Congressional delegations, we have three purposes,” she stated. “One is security. Security for our people, global security. Two is economics to spread as much prosperity as possible And three is governance.”
Pelosi’s visit follows increased Chinese military drills in the South China Sea near Taiwan. The People’s Republic view Taiwan as a de facto part of the Chinese Mainland and has asserted Pelosi’s recognition of the island as an independent nation-state is a violation of China’s sovereignty. However, Pelosi has claimed the situation is representative of a broader global struggle between democracy and totalitarianism. She expressed that the US is backing Taiwan.
“That in the Congress, House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans are committed to the security of Taiwan in order to have Taiwan be able to most effectively defend themselves,” Pelosi stated. “But it also is about our shared values of democracy and freedom, and how Taiwan has been an example to the world in that regard.”
Our delegation had the distinct privilege of meeting with the President of Taiwan @Iingwen today.
We discussed how America & Taiwan can deepen our economic ties, further strengthen our security partnership & defend our shared democratic values. pic.twitter.com/VL509UYK4x
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
President Tsai raised concerns that in light of the Ukraine crisis, a Chinese incursion into Taiwan could be next. Pelosi asserted that if the island falls, more free societies will fall under the boot of the CCP..
“That has evolved to a stronger place now and offers a very strong contrast to what’s happening on mainland China,” she noted. “No more evidence needed than what happened in Hong Kong. Under one country, two systems, it didn’t happen.”
Pelosi is the highest ranking US official to visit the island of Taiwan in 25 years.
