China imposes sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Beijing,
Aug
05:
China
has
announced
unspecified
sanctions
on
U.S.
House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi
for
her
visit
earlier
this
week
to
Taiwan.
A
Chinese
Foreign
Ministry
statement
said
Friday
that
Pelosi
had
disregarded
China’s
concerns
and
resolute
opposition
to
her
visit
to
the
self-ruled
island,
which
Beijing
claims.

The
Foreign
Ministry
on
Friday
said
Vice
Minister
Deng
Li
made
“solemn
representations”
over
what
he
called
“wanton
interference
in
China’s
internal
affairs.”

China
using
my
Taiwan
visit
as
‘an
excuse’
for
military
drills:
Nancy
Pelosi

China
has
dispatched
navy
ships
and
warplanes
and
launched
missiles
into
the
Taiwan
Strait
in
response
to
a
visit
this
week
by
U.S.
Speaker
of
the
House
of
Representatives
Nancy
Pelosi
to
Taiwan,
which
China
regards
as
its
own
territory
to
be
annexed
by
force
if
necessary.

On
the
Chinese
coast
across
from
Taiwan,
tourists
gathered
Friday
to
try
to
catch
a
glimpse
of
any
military
aircraft
heading
toward
the
exercise
area.
Fighter
jets
could
be
heard
flying
overhead
and
tourists
taking
photos
chanted,
“Let’s
take
Taiwan
back,”
looking
out
into
the
blue
waters
of
the
Taiwan
Strait
from
Pingtan
island,
a
popular
scenic
spot.

On
Friday
morning,
China
sent
military
ships
and
war
planes
across
the
mid-line
of
the
Taiwan
Strait,
the
Taiwanese
Defense
Ministry
said,
crossing
what
had
been
an
unofficial
buffer
zone
between
China
and
Taiwan
for
decades.

Five
of
the
missiles
fired
by
China
since
the
military
exercises
began
Thursday
landed
in
Japan’s
Exclusive
Economic
Zone
off
Hateruma,
an
island
far
south
of
Japan’s
main
islands,
Japanese
Defense
Minister
Nobuo
Kishi
said.
He
said
Japan
protested
the
missile
landings
to
China
as
“serious
threats
to
Japan’s
national
security
and
the
safety
of
the
Japanese
people.”

Japan’s
Defense
Ministry
later
said
they
believe
the
other
four
missiles,
fired
from
China’s
southeastern
coast
of
Fujian,
flew
over
Taiwan.

Japanese
Prime
Minister
Fumio
Kishida
said
Friday
that
China’s
military
exercises
aimed
at
Taiwan
represent
a
“grave
problem”
that
threatens
regional
peace
and
security.

In
Tokyo,
where
Pelosi
is
winding
up
her
Asia
trip,
she
said
China
cannot
stop
U.S.
officials
from
visiting
Taiwan.
Speaking
after
breakfast
with
Pelosi
and
her
congressional
delegation,
Kishida
said
the
missile
launches
need
to
be
“stopped
immediately.”

Deng
said
China
would
“prevent
the
country
from
splitting
with
the
strongest
determination,
using
all
means
and
at
any
cost.”

China
using
my
Taiwan
visit
as
‘an
excuse’
for
military
drills:
Nancy
Pelosi

“Pelosi’s
visit
to
Taiwan
is
a
blatant
political
manipulation
and
a
blatant
and
serious
violation
of
China’s
sovereignty
and
territorial
integrity,” Deng
said.
“In
response
to
the
U.S.-Taiwan
collusion
and
provocation,
China’s
counterattack
is
only
natural.”

Japan’s
Defense
Ministry
later
said
they
believe
the
other
four
missiles,
fired
from
China’s
southeastern
coast
of
Fujian,
flew
over
Taiwan.

Japanese
Prime
Minister
Fumio
Kishida
said
Friday
that
China’s
military
exercises
aimed
at
Taiwan
represent
a
“grave
problem”
that
threatens
regional
peace
and
security.

In
Tokyo,
where
Pelosi
is
winding
up
her
Asia
trip,
she
said
China
cannot
stop
U.S.
officials
from
visiting
Taiwan.
Speaking
after
breakfast
with
Pelosi
and
her
congressional
delegation,
Kishida
said
the
missile
launches
need
to
be
“stopped
immediately.”

Deng
said
China
would
“prevent
the
country
from
splitting
with
the
strongest
determination,
using
all
means
and
at
any
cost.”

“Pelosi’s
visit
to
Taiwan
is
a
blatant
political
manipulation
and
a
blatant
and
serious
violation
of
China’s
sovereignty
and
territorial
integrity,”
Deng
said.
“In
response
to
the
U.S.-Taiwan
collusion
and
provocation,
China’s
counterattack
is
only
natural.”