TIG Post

Tag: Nancy Pelosi

  • China promises the US it won’t “ever compromise” on Taiwan

    China promises the US it won’t “ever compromise” on Taiwan

    China said it will not give in on the Taiwan issue during its first military talks with the US since 2021.

    It asked the US to “stop giving weapons to Taiwan” and to listen to its worries.

    This happens shortly before important elections in Taiwan. The elections could either bring Taiwan closer to or farther from Beijing.

    China says that Taiwan belongs to them, but Taiwan thinks of itself as separate from China.

    The Chinese defense ministry said that China wants to have a good and steady relationship with the US military, based on fairness and respect.

    The message said that the US should pay attention to China’s worries. China will not change its stance on Taiwan and wants the US to follow the one-China principle, promises, and stop supporting Taiwan’s independence.

    Taiwan is an important and tense issue between China and the US as they compete for power in Asia. In 2022, China said no to talking because they were mad that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

    They started again earlier this week after China’s president Xi Jinping and US president Joe Biden made a deal in November. The meetings in Washington ended on Tuesday after two days of talking.

    Taiwan said that it doesn’t see the Chinese satellite launch over the island as election interference.

    A satellite was sent into space on Tuesday afternoon, which caused an alert for an air raid across the whole island. People on the island got a message on their phones telling them to be careful and stay safe.

    Taiwan’s defense ministry said sorry for giving the wrong information about a missile in a message sent to people’s phones.

    “Lin Yu-chan, a spokesman for Taiwan’s president, said that after the national security team looked at all the information and listened to other countries’ advice, they don’t think any political attempts will work. ”

    The Chinese government’s news sources said that the Einstein Probe satellite is used to watch strange and short-lived events in space.

    The KMT, the main opposition party on the island, criticized the use of a warning for the whole island as fear-mongering.

  • Interim House Speaker evicts Nancy Pelosi from her private office in Capitol

    Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been instructed to vacate her Capitol hideaway office by Wednesday, a decision she criticized as a “sharp departure from tradition.”

    An email sent to Pelosi’s office on Tuesday stated that the room would be re-keyed and reassigned for “speaker use.”

    This action followed the appointment of Patrick McHenry as House speaker pro tempore, which occurred shortly after the historic removal of Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a vote on Tuesday.

    “With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol,” Pelosi said in a statement, referring to McHenry (R-NC).

    Pelosi served as the Speaker of the House on two distinct occasions: first, from 2007 to 2011, and then again from 2019 to 2022.

    Staff members of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) assisted in clearing out Pelosi’s office late on Tuesday, as reported by the outlet. Items including a television and bags were observed outside the office before being removed.

    “Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them,” Pelosi added. “Now that the new Republican Leadership has settled this important matter, let’s hope they get to work on what’s truly important for the American people.”

    Pelosi was not present during the House vote that led to the removal of McCarthy as House Speaker, a vote instigated by members of his own party.

  • Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 83, to run for office again

    Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 83, to run for office again

    Nancy Pelosi, who used to be in charge of the US House of Representatives, plans to run for re-election next year in November.

    Mrs Pelosi, who is 83 years old, was chosen by the people in her San Francisco area to represent them in 1987. She then had two separate times when she was the leader, called the speaker, from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023.

    She was in charge of the Democrats in the House of Representatives for twenty years before stepping down as leader when the Republicans won last year’s election.

    Her choice to run again is likely to start debate again about how old US political leaders should be.

    Ms Pelosi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and continue our recovery.

    Our country wants America to demonstrate to the world that our flag is still flying, representing freedom and fairness for everyone. That’s why I want to be elected again – and kindly ask for your vote.

    Mrs Pelosi is the first woman ever to be the speaker of the House in the United States. She has been very important in either helping or stopping the plans of many presidents.

    She is given a lot of recognition for helping to pass the important healthcare law under former President Barack Obama, as well as laws about building things like roads and dealing with climate change under current President Joe Biden.

    Mrs Pelosi openly disagreed with Donald Trump during his time as president, and she became well-known for tearing up a copy of his State of the Union address while he wasn’t looking.

    She resigned as the leader of the Democratic party when the Republicans won back control of the House of Representatives in the election last year. Kevin McCarthy was chosen as the speaker of the House after a long selection process.

    The choice to leave the highest position has caused people to think that she might retire after the 2024 midterm election.

    But according to the US media, she told her top advisers and activists at a morning meal on Friday that she plans to run for another term as an official before officially announcing it later.

    She decided to run for a 19th term in office as the country thinks about how old its top politicians are getting.

    Joe Biden, the President of the United States, will be 81 years old when he attempts to get re-elected next year. His expected competitor, previous President Donald Trump, will be 78 years old.

    Some people are wondering if Mitch McConnell, the highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, should step down. This is because he seemed to freeze again at a media event last week, which is the second time it has happened in a little over a month.

    Most surveys show that most Americans, about three-quarters of them, support age limits for people who work in the White House and Congress.

    About the same number of people are worried that Mr. Biden’s age might affect his physical and mental abilities, CNN reports.

  • Time to step down: Nancy Pelosi to bow out as US House Democrats leader

    ‘The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus,’ says the 82-year-old former US House Speaker.

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will not run for reelection to the Democratic Party’s congressional leadership after Republicans regained control of the chamber by a slim margin.

    Pelosi, 82, became the first female speaker of the House in 2007, and has been the top Democratic lawmaker for nearly 20 years. She stated on Thursday that she will continue to serve in Congress to represent her California constituents, but that she is ready to pass the leadership torch to the next generation.

    “With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said in a speech on the House floor. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

    Democrats will elect their leaders for the new Congress, which convenes early next year, at the end of the month. House Democratic Conference Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, a 52-year-old New York representative, is widely considered a frontrunner to replace Pelosi.

    The top three Democrats in the House – Pelosi, House majority leader Steny Hoyer and majority whip Jim Clyburn – are in their 80s.

    Hoyer also announced in a letter to Democratic lawmakers on Thursday that he will not seek a leadership position in the next Congress, saying that it was time for a “new generation of leaders”. Clyburn, too, suggested that he will leave his position as whip.

    “Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic Leaders which I hope to be Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar,” Clyburn wrote in a tweet.

    In her speech on Tuesday, Pelosi warned about the fate of US democracy, citing the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump who sought to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

    “American democracy is majestic, but it is fragile,” Pelosi said. “Many of us here have witnessed this fragility firsthand – tragically in this chamber. And so, democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm.”

    Biden called Pelosi the “most consequential” House speaker in US history.

    “Because of Nancy Pelosi, the lives of millions and millions of Americans are better, even in districts represented by Republicans who voted against her bills and too often vilify her. That’s Nancy – always working for the dignity of all of the people,” the US president said in a statement on Thursday.

    The daughter of a former US congressman and Baltimore mayor, Pelosi has been serving in the House since 1987 – before some current members of her caucus were born.

    The outgoing House speaker is often praised as an effective lawmaker who managed to keep unity in a Democratic caucus that is far from ideologically homogeneous.

    During her two stints as speaker – from 2007 to 2011 and 2019 until the end of the year – she passed historic legislation, including former President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

    US lawmakers were quick to pay tribute to Pelosi on Thursday, praising her leadership and years of service.

    “Nancy Pelosi is a trailblazer. A fierce advocate for California and our entire country, she was fearless in the face of impeachments and insurrection. Her legacy will live on with our next generation of leaders,” House Democrat Katie Porter wrote on Twitter.

    Senator Chris Van Hollen said Pelosi made history as the first female speaker of the House but also offered the most effective leadership.

    “She has been the fearless force behind much of the progress we have made in the 21st Century. Her legacy is forever etched in American history,” Van Hollen said in a social media post.

    Over her career, Pelosi has been criticised from the left for not pushing more progressive legislation and failing to back impeaching former President George W Bush over the Iraq invasion and torture of prisoners after the 9/11 attacks.

    And Republicans have vilified Pelosi as a symbol of everything they dislike about Democrats: a member of the so-called “coastal elite” who supports higher taxation and government spending.

    Ahead of the midterm vote, “firing Nancy Pelosi” became a rallying cry for Republicans. Despite an underwhelming election performance where they failed to capture the Senate, Republicans were able to narrowly take back the House, ensuring that Pelosi would not serve for another term as speaker.

    Although the president is largely responsible for US foreign policy, in her decades-long career, Pelosi has stepped into the international limelight.

    Earlier this year, she angered China by visiting Taiwan. She also oversaw the allocation of continuing US aid to Ukraine after the Russian invasion and travelled to Kyiv where she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May.

    The outgoing speaker is a staunch supporter of Israel. “If this Capitol crumbled to the ground, the one thing that would remain would be our commitment to our aid – I don’t even call it our aid – our cooperation with Israel. That’s fundamental to who we are,” she said in 2018.

    Source: Aljazeera.com 

  • Youngkin apologized in a handwritten note to Pelosi for comments about her husband’s attack

    Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent a handwritten note of apology to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for comments he made following her husband Paul Pelosi’s assault, according to her spokesperson.

    According to the spokesperson, the speaker has accepted the apology.

    The letter, dated November 1, came after the Virginia Republican claimed late last month that  “Speaker Pelosi’s husband had a break-in last night in their house, and he was assaulted. There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re gonna send her back to be with him in California. That’s what we’re going to go do.”

    Youngkin at the time was stumping for congressional candidate Yesli Vega just hours after the assault.

    Punchbowl was first to report about the letter.

    Youngkin, who drew criticism for the initial swipe at Pelosi, later expressed regret for making the comments.

    “At the end of the day, I really wanted to express the fact that what happened to Speaker Pelosi’s husband was atrocious. And I didn’t do a great job,” he told Punchbowl News.

    Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco by a male assailant at the end of last month, authorities have said. The assailant was searching for the speaker of the House, according to court documents.

    The violent attack on Paul Pelosi raised concerns over threats of political violence driven by partisan animosity and increasingly hostile political rhetoric, and highlighted the potential vulnerability of lawmakers and their families in the current political climate.

  • Where things stand in the Senate

     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is feeling cautiously optimistic.

    “While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country,” she says.

    She calls for every vote to be counted and thanks volunteers for “enabling every voter to have their say”.

    Pelosi was re-elected to Congress tonight for a 19th consecutive term. But a violent assault on her husband Paul at their California home less than a fortnight ago has raised questions about the top Democrat’s future.

    If Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in these elections, as is predicted, Pelosi will lose her position as speaker.

    Source: BBC

  • US midterms: Biden, Trump to make final appeals day before crucial elections

    On the final day of campaigning, President Joe Biden will hold a rally in Maryland, while his predecessor, Donald Trump, will be in Ohio.

    An election year that has unfolded against the backdrop of economic turmoil, the elimination of federal abortion rights, and widespread concerns about the future of democracy is coming to a close with a final full day of campaigning in which leaders from both parties will make urgent appeals to their supporters.

    President Joe Biden is holding a Monday evening rally in Maryland, where Democrats have one of their best opportunities to reclaim a Republican-held governor’s seat. The appearance is in line with Biden’s late-campaign strategy of sticking largely to Democratic strongholds rather than stumping in more competitive territory, where control of Congress may ultimately be decided.

    Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump will hold his final rally of the campaign in Ohio. As he readies another run for the White House, Ohio holds special meaning for the former president because it was one of the first places where he was able to prove his enduring power among Republican voters.

    His backing of JD Vance was crucial in helping the author and venture capitalist – and one-time Trump critic – secure the GOP’s nomination for a Senate seat.

    With more than 41 million ballots already cast, Monday’s focus will be ensuring that supporters either meet early voting deadlines or make plans to show up in person on Tuesday. The results will have a powerful effect on the final two years of Biden’s presidency, shaping policy on everything from government spending to military support for Ukraine.

    In the first national election since the violent January 6 insurrection, the final days of the campaign focused on fundamental questions about the nation’s political values.

    Campaigning in New York for Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday, Biden said Republicans were willing to condone last year’s mob attack at the US Capitol and that, after the recent assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, some in that party made “light of it” or were “making excuses”.

    “There’s never been a time in my career where we’ve glorified violence based on a political preference,” the president said.

    Meanwhile, during a Sunday evening Trump rally in Miami, a reference to Nancy Pelosi prompted chants of “Lock her up!” – a stark reminder of the nation’s deep political divide.

    Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in support of the campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, in Miami.
    Trump speaks at a rally in support of the campaign for Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Sunday in Miami [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]

    Trump was campaigning for Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s re-election, but also focused on his own political future. After telling a crowd in Iowa last week that he is “very, very, very probably” going to run for president again, he again teased the possibility on Sunday and encouraged supporters to watch his Ohio rally.

    “I will probably have to do it again, but stay tuned,” Trump said, teasing the Monday event. “We have a big, big rally. Stay tuned for tomorrow night.”

    Not attending the Miami event was Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for re-election against Democrat Charlie Crist and is widely considered Trump’s most formidable challenger if he also were to get into the White House race.

    DeSantis held his own, separate events on Sunday in other parts of the state where he stuck to the centrepieces of his re-election campaign, including railing against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The governor’s counter-political programming avoided antagonising Trump – meaning it did not deliver the duelling 2024 events that could be in his and Trump’s near future.

    Trump said on Sunday that Florida would “re-elect Ron DeSantis as your governor”. But he was more confrontational during a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, referring to Florida’s governor as “Ron DeSanctimonious”.

    It is a rivalry that has been simmering for more than a year as DeSantis has taken increasingly bold steps to boost his national profile and build a deep fundraising network – even as Trump remains unquestionably the party’s most popular leader.

    For national Democrats, meanwhile, the focus is on their narrow control of the House and the Senate, which could evaporate after Tuesday.

    Voters may rebuke the party controlling the White House and Congress amid surging inflation, concerns about crime and pessimism about the direction of the country. History suggests the party in power will suffer significant losses in the midterms.

    Biden has made the case that the nation’s very democracy is on the ballot and the first lady went to Texas on Sunday to sound a similar alarm. “So much is at stake in this election,” Jill Biden said in Houston. “We must speak up on justice and democracy.”

    Travelling in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “These attacks on our democracy will not only directly impact the people around our country, but arguably around the world.”

    Trump has long falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election only because Democrats cheated and has even begun raising the possibility of election fraud this year. Federal intelligence agencies are warning of the possibility of political violence from far-right extremists.

    Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, said Democrats were “inflation deniers”, trying to deflect the other side’s branding of her party as anti-democratic for rejecting the results of 2020’s free and fair presidential election simply because Trump lost it.

    “If we win back the House and the Senate, it’s the American people saying to Joe Biden, we want you to work on behalf of us and we want you to work across the aisle to solve the problems that we are dealing with,” McDaniel told CNN.

     

  • Man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband pleads not guilty to charges

    David DePape, the man who allegedly broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home last week and brutally attacked her husband, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

    As reported by CNN, DePape, 42, made his first appearance in front of a judge on Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Court. DePape faces a slate of charges, including attempted murder, burglary, assault, false imprisonment, and one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” according to the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. The last charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

    Last Friday, DePape allegedly broke into the Pelosi residence and attacked Nancy’s 82-year-old spouse, Paul, with a hammer. Paul Pelosi, who was knocked unconscious during the assault, remains hospitalized and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries.

    While addressing the news during a conference on Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger reiterated the security protocols for members of Congress, admitting that there is “still a lot of work to do.”

    “We believe today’s political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for members of Congress,” Manger said, adding that DePape’s attack was “an alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures face during today’s contentious political climate.”

    According to the Anti-Defamation League, DePape is believed to have participated in online forums, where he echoed QAnon conspiracy theories, as well as anti-semitic and anti-government rants.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Paul Pelosi’s alleged attack accused of sexually abusing his kids

    David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter and sons.

    The allegations came to light in a blog post shared by Inti Gonzalez, a 21-year-old woman who claims to be DePape’s stepdaughter. According to the since-deleted post, DePape met Gonzalez’s mother in Maui when she was pregnant with her. The woman claimed the couple moved to the Bay Area after she was born, and went on to have two sons.

    Gonzalez said DePape and her mother had a romantic relationship for about three years; however, he remained in their home to help take care of her and her siblings. She said her mother kicked DePape out around 2014, after the man’s behavior had become “toxic.” Gonzalez claimed it was just six months later when her brothers “started getting memories of [DePape] physically and sexually abusing me and my brothers.”

    She wrote that the abuse began when they were young and continued until 2008, when she was 7.

    “My mother made a police report when she found out, but the case not managed properly, so nothing was done about it in the end,” she claimed, as reported by the Guardian.

    Gonzalez said she wasn’t too surprised by DePape’s alleged attack on Paul Pelosi, as he spent years abusing her and her brothers. She did, however, reaffirm her love for DePape, saying he was made a genuine effort “to be a good person, but the monster in him was always too strong for him to be safe around.”

    “He barely opened up about himself or his past, but it was obvious that he grew up in hell and that we didn’t know the worst of it,” she continued. “… Once he sat us down in Tolden Park. He looked like he was about to cry. He said, ‘I am so sorry for everything I have done to you guys. I am more sorry than you will ever know.’”

    Gonzalez said she last saw DePape when she was 13, but reached out to him several months ago. She claimed the conversation ended when she refused to deny that abuse ever happened.

    Police said DePape broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco estate at around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Officers arrived at the scene shortly after and found Paul Pelosi and DePape “both holding a hammer.” It was at that time, the suspect allegedly pulled the hammer away and began using it to strike Paul Pelosi while shouting, “Where’s Nancy?” The House Speaker was not in the home at the time.

    “Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said during a Friday press conference.

    A spokesperson for the House Speaker confirmed Paul Pelosi had sustained injuries to arm and hands. He also reportedly had surgery to repair a skull fracture.

    DePape has been charged with a slew of crimes, including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and burglary.

    According to the Anti-Defamation League, DePape is believed to have participated in online forums, where he echoed QAnon conspiracy theories, as well as anti-Semitic and anti-government rants. Gonzalez referenced DePape’s online activity in her post.

    “… I was able to learn more about him and his views from his blogs,” she wrote. “Though I didn’t agree with all of his views, it made me happy to see that he had strong opinions about important issues that our world is facing today.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Elon Musk posts a conspiracy theory about the Pelosi attack on Twitter

    Before deleting his post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk linked to an unsubstantiated article about Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

    Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, tweeted an article containing a conspiracy theory about the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband before deleting the post hours later.

    Musk’s tweet on Sunday linked to an article making unsubstantiated claims about Paul Pelosi’s personal life and the role it may have played in last week’s attack at his and his wife’s home in San Francisco.

    Musk tweeted the article by the Santa Monica Observer, a website with a history of publishing misinformation, after Hillary Clinton posted an LA Times article about the suspected attacker, David DePape, and criticised Republicans for spreading “hate and deranged conspiracy theories”.

    In response to Clinton’s tweet, Musk posted the article while adding there was a “tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye”.

    US media outlets have linked DePape, who is accused of attacking Pelosi with a hammer, to blog posts espousing far-right and extreme views online, including the QAnon conspiracy theory.

    Musk, who has described himself as a “free-speech absolutist”, appeared to have deleted his tweet several hours after posting it without explanation.

    The Tesla CEO’s controversial tweet comes as his $44bn purchase of the social media platform is at the centre of a heated debate about the limits of free speech in the digital age.

    Musk, the world’s richest man, has criticised Twitter’s moderation policies and accused the social media giant of having a left-wing bias.

    The billionaire has stressed the need for a “common digital town square” where a wide range of beliefs can be debated while insisting he does not favour a “free-for-all hellscape”.

    Critics have expressed fears that Musk’s ownership of the platform could result in a surge in hate speech and misinformation, while conservatives have heralded the takeover as a corrective to Big Tech censorship.

     

     

  • Nancy Pelosi: The hammer attack has traumatised us

    Nancy Pelosi has stated that the violent attack on her husband has left her “heartbroken and traumatised.”

    The speaker of the United States House of Representatives said her family was “grateful for the quick response of law enforcement” and for his medical care.

    A male assailant struck Paul Pelosi with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home on Friday.

    The 82-year-old’s condition “continues to improve” after the attack, Mrs Pelosi said.

    He suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands, and remains in hospital receiving “life-saving” care, she said.

    The suspect, David Depape, 42, is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi – stoking fears about political violence in the run-up to the 8 November midterm elections.

    The speaker – who was on the other side of the country in Washington DC at the time of the assault – flew back to see her husband in hospital.

    In her statement, she said prayers and warm-wishers were comfort and were helping Mr Pelosi’s recovery.

    Police officers responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.

    They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.

    The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.

    He is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and several other felonies.

    Mrs Pelosi, also 82, is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency, after Vice-President Kamala Harris.

    The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and typically splits her time between California and Washington DC.

    She is currently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats around the country ahead of the midterm elections.

    Paul Pelosi is the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm and lives primarily in San Francisco, where he was born and raised.

    The couple has been married since 1963 and have five children.

    Members of Congress have been on high alert over security threats since the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021.

    Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the riot.

    US President Joe Biden has condemned the attack on Paul Pelosi and said “enough is enough” when it comes to violence in politics.

     

     

  • Paul Pelosi attack: Violent extremism warning ahead of US election

    The violent attack on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband comes with just over a week to go before the US midterm elections – a moment when political tensions are coming to a boil.

    As if to emphasise this point, just a few hours after news of the assault on Paul Pelosi on Friday, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation. It warned of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.

    Also on Friday, the US Department of Justice announced that a man from Pennsylvania had pleaded guilty to making multiple phoned death threats against an unnamed congressman – reported to be Democrat Eric Swalwell of California. The threats included telling a staff member in the congressman’s Washington office that he was going to come to the US Capitol with a firearm.

    These wailing klaxons of a political system in peril come as Republicans and Democrats frame the upcoming midterm voting, which will determine which party controls Congress next year, as a pivotal moment in American history.

    Republicans warn this is the last chance to put a check on Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency. Democrats say American democracy itself is at stake because of the numerous Republican candidates who have refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

    And the rhetoric comes at the culmination of what has been a steady drumbeat of violence – and violent threats – that has been building all year.

    Death threats

    In Arizona, there have been multiple reports of masked individuals with firearms staking out ballot drop boxes, ostensibly to monitor the sites for election fraud. They’ve posted photographs of individuals casting their ballots on right-wing social media sites and encouraged others to join their efforts.

    In June, a man was arrested near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He had travelled to the Washington suburb from California and called police after he arrived to tell them he had a firearm and intended to kill the conservative justice.

    The following month, the Republican candidate for governor, Lee Zeldin, was attacked while on stage during a campaign rally. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a liberal leader in the Democratic Party, was threatened by a man with a handgun outside her Seattle home. He was subsequently charged with felony stalking.

    Marjorie Taylor Greene waves to supporters at a Donald Trump rally.
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Marjorie Taylor Greene waves to supporters at a Donald Trump rally.

    Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has had police respond to her home six times based on anonymous hoax calls. The practice, called “swatting”, is used to try to provoke a confrontation between the target and law enforcement. She has also been the target of numerous death threats.

    Partisan violence – and the threat of it – is nothing new in American politics, of course. The bloodiest recent attack occurred five years ago, when a man with multiple weapons opened fire on Republican politicians playing baseball at a city park. Five were injured, including one critically – second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise of Louisiana. That, however, was an isolated incident.

    Keeping politicians safe

    Data provided by the US Capitol Police suggests a violent wave is building. The number of cases involving threats against members of Congress has increased every year since 2017. In the first three months of 2022, the department has documented more than 1,800 incidents.

    In response, Capitol Police announced in July that it would cover up to $10,000 for security upgrades in the homes of congressional legislators.

    There are 435 members of Congress, however. They regularly travel to and from their homes around Washington and from the nation’s capital to their homes across the nation. A motivated individual fixated on violence will be able to find a way to strike against a targeted politician – or their family.

    With Mrs Pelosi thousands of miles away in Washington, there was no police security provided for Mr Pelosi at their San Francisco home. He was not the intended target, but he became the victim.

    Before the attack, the suspect is said to have asked, “Where is Nancy?” – the phrase harkening back to the 6 January assault on the US Capitol, when a man roamed the halls of the Capitol, calling out: “Where are you, Nancy? We’re looking for you.”

    Politicians on both sides of the nation’s partisan divide have expressed their sympathy for Mr Pelosi and called for a cooling of the rhetoric. It is a task that is easier said than done, however.

    With a population encased in political bubbles of social media and news outlets that reinforce their existing political beliefs and fears, individuals will continue to be tempted by extremism and violence. And when they go looking for the politicians they read about and see on television – ones they are told are enemies of the nation and threats to democracy – they will be able to find them.

    Source: BBC.com

  • Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s husband, is recovering from hammer attack surgery

    Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery after being attacked at the couple’s San Francisco home by a hammer-wielding intruder.

    Mr. Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull as well as injuries to his right arm and hands, but he is expected to recover fully.

    The attack has heightened fears of political violence in the run-up to the midterm elections on November 8.

    The suspect, David Depape, 42, is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi.

    President Biden described the attack as “despicable” and denounced a corrosive political climate for contributing to violence.

    “Enough is enough is enough,” he said during a speech in Philadelphia. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are.”

    Hours after the attack, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation warning of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.

    However, police investigating the attack on Mr Pelosi – which they have deemed an attempted murder – told reporters a motive had not yet been fully determined.

    ‘Paul Pelosi made secret 911 call’

    Mrs Pelosi – who was on the other side of the country in Washington DC at the time of the assault – flew back to see her husband in hospital.

    A spokesman for the senior Democrat said Mr Pelosi had been attacked in the early hours of Friday morning “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker”.

    San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said officers had responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.

    They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.

    The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.

    He is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and several other felonies, Chief Scott said.

    He said the suspect had gained access through a rear entry to the four-bedroom Pelosi home in the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights. Footage shows a smashed glass door at the property.

    The suspect is currently in hospital, but police declined to share details about his medical condition.

    At the start of the break-in, Mr Pelosi told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom then made a secret 911 call on his mobile phone and left the line open, allowing a dispatcher to hear him talking to the suspect, reports the Los Angeles Times.

    Chief Scott confirmed it was Mr Pelosi who had called the police and that a quick-thinking emergency dispatcher had been “able to read between the lines” and send officers.

    “This was not a random act,” said the police chief of the attack. “This was intentional.”

    He added: “Everybody should be disgusted by what happened this morning.

    Far right web activity

    A blog, website and social media accounts under the name of the suspect seen by the BBC are filled with anti-Semitic memes, Holocaust denial, references to far-right websites and conspiracy theories such as QAnon.

    He also posted debunked allegations of election fraud. His recent posts were rambling and touched on a host of far-right and extremist talking points.

    Older messages by the suspect promote hemp jewellery and quartz crystals. He was also a nudist activist who had listed himself as a member of the Green Party, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

    The suspect grew up in the western Canadian province of British Columbia before moving to the US and becoming estranged from family members back home, his stepfather told the Globe and Mail newspaper.

    The Pelosi home with crime scene tape
    IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

    Mrs Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris.

    The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and typically splits her time between California and Washington DC.

    She is currently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats around the country ahead of the midterm elections.

    Her husband, the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm, lives primarily in San Francisco, where he was born and raised.

    The couple have been married since 1963 and have five children.

    Members of Congress have been on high alert over security threats since the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.

     

  • Nancy Pelosi’s husband hospitalized after home intruder assault

    Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi has been hospitalized after he was assaulted by an intruder in their San Francisco home.

    In a statement shared by Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill on Friday, it was confirmed that the House Speaker’s husband was attacked in the morning by someone who forced their way inside. “Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,” reads the statement. “The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation.”

    Paul, who is 82, is expected to make a full recovery. His wife was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the break-in, according to the Capitol Police statement on the matter. “The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is assisting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the San Francisco Police with a joint investigation into a break-in at the California home of the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” the Capitol Police shared. “The law enforcement agencies will provide more information when it can be released.”

    Earlier this year, Paul was arrested for a DUI and sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.

    It’s unclear if the attack was politically motivated, according to authorities, but Nancy Pelosi has long been the target of criticism from Republicans across the country. In December, a North Carolina man was sentenced to 28 months behind bars for threatening to shoot her.

    The couple have owned the San Francisco home since 1987, and were targeted by vandals after Congress passed a stimulus bill in January 2021. As reported by the New York Times, the home was spray-painted and a pig’s head was left on the sidewalk outside.

    The vandalism occurred just days ahead of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Japanese, Chinese leaders emphasise importance of relations

    To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation. Relations between the two nations have historically been tense.

    Both nations have strong trading connections.

    China and Japan’s respective presidents emphasized the need to move relations in a constructive direction on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of established diplomatic relations between the two countries.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke on the phone on Thursday.

    Xi told Kishida that he attached “great importance” to the development of China-Japan ties and that he was willing to expand the relationship, reported China’s state channel CCTV.

    “Japan and China share a great responsibility to achieve peace and prosperity in the region and world. In view of the next 50 years … I hope to work with you to build constructive and stable Japan-China relations” Kishida told Xi.

    There was no formal event to celebrate the occasion. However, messages from both leaders were read out at an event in Tokyo backed by the government and the Chinese embassy.

    What have China-Japan ties been like?

    China and Japan have had strained relations due to multiple issues, including disputed islands and regional influence.

    Japan is concerned by Chinese activity around the disputed Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyus.

    After US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Beijing launched missiles near Taiwan into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, heightening tensions.

    The war in Ukraine also has Japan and China on opposing sides.

    However, the world’s second and third largest economies are key trade partners. China is Japan’s largest trading partner and Japan is China’s second-largest partner, after the United States.

    “I believe what we decided 50 years ago is that Japan and China do not fight and that we cooperate with each other to build relations of peace and stability,” former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said at the Tokyo event with 850 business executives and politicians.

    “We need to recollect the ties that were agreed upon 50 years ago and pour our full energy into maintaining those relations for another 50, 100 years. There just can be no other way,” he said.

  • US forces ‘would defend Taiwan’ in face of Chinese invasion – Joe Biden

    The United States has traditionally adhered to a strategy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not been explicit about how it would react to an attack in terms of military force.

    In his clearest remarks to date on the subject, US President Joe Biden stated US military would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion.

    Asked in a TV interview whether America would defend the self-ruled island, claimed by China, he replied bluntly: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”

    militarily, to an attack.

    Asked to clarify if he meant that, unlike in Ukraine, US forces would defend Taiwan from Chinese invasion, Mr Biden again replied: “Yes.”

    The CBS 60 Minutes interview showed a president appearing to go beyond long-standing US policy on Taiwan, which states a commitment to a One-China policy, in which Washington officially recognises Beijing and not Taipei.

    Biden’s remarks are sure to anger Beijing, which was enraged by a visit to Taiwan by US House speaker Nancy
    Pelosi     back in August.

    That visit prompted China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring democratically-governed Taiwan under Beijing’s control and has
    not ruled out the use of force.

    Asked last October if the United States would come to the defence of Taiwan, the president said: “Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” but a White House spokesperson said he was not, in fact, announcing any change in US policy – and some experts denounced the comment as a “gaffe”.

  • US and Taiwan announce formal bilateral trade talks

    The US has announced that they will begin formal trade negotiations with Taiwan, weeks after a controversial visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    The first round of talks are expected to begin in “early fall”, said the Office of US Trade Representative.

    Their discussion will include talks on trade facilitation, digital trade and anti-corruption standards.

    Relations between the US and China have been increasingly tense following Ms Pelosi’s visit.

    The US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade was first unveiled in June, with both sides now saying they had “reached consensus on the negotiating mandate”.

    “We plan to pursue an ambitious schedule…. that will help build a fairer, more prosperous and resilient 21st century economy,” said Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi in a statement.

    Trade between the US and Taiwan was worth nearly $106bn (£88bn) in 2020.

    The announcement comes as China launched its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan after Ms Pelosi’s visit earlier in August.

    Under the “One China policy”, the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan but maintains a “robust unofficial” relationship with Taiwan, including continued arms sales to the island so that it can defend itself.

    Beijing sees the self-governing island as its own, renegade territory that must be united with the mainland.

    However, Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from the mainland.

    Seperately on Thursday, top US diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink said Beijing’s “growing coercion….threatens the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait”.

    “We will continue to take calm, but resolute steps to uphold peace and stability in the face of Beijing’s ongoing efforts to undermine it and to support Taiwan in line with our long-standing policy,” he said.

     

    Source: BBC

  • Senators put bipartisan pressure on Biden to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism

    A bipartisan pair of senators has called on the Biden administration to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism in response to its invasion of Ukraine, saying they would push Congress to pass a bill issuing the designation “whether or not” it had President Joe Biden’s support.

    Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday that the designation should be made either by the President or Congress, with both of them saying Biden must intensify pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and continue aiding Ukraine amid the ongoing invasion.
    “I hope the President will decide to adopt this stance voluntarily and he hasn’t taken it off the table on the state-sponsored terrorism,” said Blumenthal, who represents Connecticut.
    Graham, of South Carolina, said he wants the Biden administration to engage with Congress in designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism but said Congress is “willing” to advance legislation calling for the designation regardless.
    “I’d like to work with (the Biden administration). But whether or not we have to do legislation to make it happen — we’re willing to do it.
    I am urging the administration to act now,” Graham said.
    The two senators traveled together in June to Ukraine, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and called on Biden to send more humanitarian aid to the county and issue stronger sanctions in addition to designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
    The US State Department is responsible for designating nations as state sponsors of terrorism.
     The department defines the designation as a country that has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.” There are only four countries that are currently labeled state sponsors of terrorism by the US: North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Syria.
    In July, the Senate passed a nonbinding resolution calling on the State Department to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. And in April, a senior administration official said department officials were looking at the possibility of labeling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
    Both senators on Sunday praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for making a controversial visit to Taiwan last week and connected American support for the self-governing island to the impact of US aid to Ukraine in combating Russia’s invasion. Blumenthal said, “China is watching what we do in Ukraine” as it considers potential actions in neighboring Taiwan.
    “She should have gone, I’m glad she went,” Graham said. “If she hadn’t gone, what would that have sent a signal to the Iranians and to the Russians?”

    Upcoming Senate agenda

    Though Graham and Blumenthal were split on the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ sweeping climate and health care bill that is being debated in the Senate on Sunday, the senators both advocated more bipartisan gun legislation.
    The two senators, who both supported the gun safety legislation passed earlier this year, said there were more gun safety overhauls they both want to see passed. They specifically highlighted a proposal to empower judges and law enforcement to restrict gun access to those who may pose a threat to others.
    “I think what we can do is incentivize states to give them the tools they need to deal with this before it’s too late,” Graham said, stressing that his proposal would not be a “national ‘red flag’ law.”
    “The common ground that I think we share and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle share: Keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, but through due process,” Blumenthal said.
    The two stood by their respective party’s positions when asked about the Democrats’ climate and health care bills. Blumenthal said the bill would deliver “historic” cost savings to Americans, while Graham said the legislation is “gonna make everything worse.”
    Blumenthal and Graham also split on whether Congress should codify the right to marriage for same-sex couples.
    Though some Republicans have said they would side with Democrats on the bill, Graham said he believes same-sex marriage laws should be decided by the states.
    When asked if the US Supreme Court decision affirming the right to same-sex marriage should be overturned, Graham replied: “Well, that’d be up to the court.”

    2024 election

    Blumenthal, who is up for reelection this year, did not say whether or not he wants Biden to run for reelection in 2024, saying instead that he is concentrating on this year’s midterms.
    “I’m going to be very blunt and very honest with you. My focus is totally on this November,” Blumenthal said.
    He continued: “I will support President Biden if he decides he wants to run and I think his decision will be determined by how November ends for the Democratic Party and for senators like myself who are running for reelection.”
    Graham, in contrast, reiterated his support for Donald Trump and said he would support the former President if he runs for a second term in 2024.
    However, Graham said Trump should refrain from bringing up election conspiracies if he runs again, noting: “I don’t believe the election was stolen.” But he added that he wants to “look at election integrity measures.”
    “I think we should look at election integrity measures to make sure some problems don’t happen again. But if he runs for president, talking about 2020 is not what people want to hear,” Graham said.
    Graham has been subpoenaed by an Atlanta-area grand jury investigating efforts made by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Graham has filed a motion to block the subpoena.
    Source: bbc.com

  • China-Taiwan- New military drill launched near Taiwan

     China’s military has stated that it will continue extensive military exercises around Taiwan after its previously planned live-fire operations were completed on Sunday.

    The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army said that it would practice sea raids and anti-submarine strikes.

    Beijing’s four days of training were in response to Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House, visiting the island.

    Taiwan has accused China of using these drills as practice for an invasion of the island.

    However, the US, along with Australia and Japan, have condemned the drills. They believe their objective is to change the current state in the Taiwan Strait thus  – the body of water between the mainland and the island.

    Washington has also condemned Beijing for breaking off cooperation with the US in a number of areas including climate change in retaliation for Ms. Pelosi’s visit.

    Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that it can claim by force, if necessary.

    But Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from China.

    Any hint of recognition of this by world leaders, however, enrages China.

    The renewed activity around Taiwan comes after Chinese maritime authorities announced that drills would also take place in other locations.

    In the Yellow Sea – located between China and the Korean peninsula – new daily military drills were due to start from Saturday until the middle of August, and include live-fire exercises.

    In addition, a month-long military operation in one area of the Bohai sea – north of the Yellow Sea – started on Saturday.

  • Taiwan braces as China drills follow Pelosi visit

    China is kicking off its biggest-ever military exercises in the seas around Taiwan following US politician Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

    The live fire drills began at 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and in several areas were due to take place within 12 miles of the island.

    Taiwan said China was trying to change the status quo in the region.

    Ms. Pelosi made a brief but controversial visit to Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province.

    The drills are Beijing’s main response, although it has also blocked some trade with the island.

    The exercises are due to take place in busy waterways and will include long-range live ammunition shooting, Beijing says.

    Taiwan says it amounts to a sea and air blockade while the US said the drills were irresponsible and could spiral out of control.

    Analyst Bonnie Lin told the BBC that the Taiwanese military would react cautiously but there was still a risk of confrontation.

    “For example, if China decides to fly planes over Taiwan’s airspace, there is a chance that Taiwan might try to intercept them. And we could see a mid-air collision, we could see a lot of different scenarios playing out,” she said.

    Taiwan said it scrambled jets to warn off Chinese warplanes on Wednesday and its military fired flares to drive away unidentified aircraft over the Kinmen islands, located close to the mainland.

    Several ministries have suffered cyber-attacks in recent days, the Taiwanese government said.

    Taiwan has also asked ships to take different routes and is negotiating with Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes.

    A map showing where the drills will take place

    Japan has also expressed concern to China over the areas covered by the military drills, which it says overlaps with its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

    In response, Chinese government spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing did not accept the “so-called” Japan EEZ.

    On Wednesday, China detained a suspected Taiwanese separatist in the coastal Zhejiang province on suspicion of endangering national security, according to local media reports.

    Meanwhile, China’s Ambassador to France Lu Shaye told French TV that after “reunification” with Taiwan, Beijing would focus on “re-education”.

    China has previously used the term “re-education” to refer to its detention of mostly-Muslim minorities in its north-western Xinjiang region, where human rights groups say more than a million people have been incarcerated.

     

    These drills are unprecedented

    In the Taiwanese capital, the situation remains calm but Taiwan is being forced to reroute a huge amount of air and sea traffic around the exclusion zones declared by Beijing.

    Meanwhile a US aircraft that can track ballistic missiles in flight has taken off from Japan and is heading towards Taiwan.

    Analysts say one scenario is that China is preparing to fire ballistic missiles – to splash down in the exclusion zones, very close to Taiwan’s coast. That is what China did back in 1996, the last time tensions between Beijing and Taipei got this bad. But this time the exclusion zones are much closer to Taiwan.

    There is also concern that one of the exclusion zones is to the east of Taiwan in the Pacific ocean. Analysts say it is possible China is preparing to fly a missile over the top of Taiwan – to splash down in that zone. That would be considered a major violation of Taiwan’s airspace.

    Mrs Pelosi, the most senior US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, made the trip as part of a wider Asian tour.

    China had warned her not to travel to the island.

    Accusing the US of “violating China’s sovereignty under the guise of so-called democracy”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: “Those who play with fire will not come to a good end and those who offend China will be punished.”

    In a statement after the visit, Ms. Pelosi said China cannot “prevent world leaders or anyone from traveling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration”.

    After leaving Taiwan, Ms. Pelosi traveled to South Korea, where she met her counterpart Kim Jin-pyo. She is due to visit the Joint Security Area near the border between the two Koreas, patrolled by the US-led UN command and North Korea.

    The US walks a diplomatic tightrope with its Taiwan policy. On the one hand, it abides by the “One China” policy, which recognizes only one Chinese government, giving it formal ties with Beijing and not Taiwan.

    On the other, it maintains a “robust unofficial” relationship with the island, which includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.

    Source: bbc.com

  • China fires missiles near Taiwan after Pelosi visit

    China has fired missiles near Taiwan as part of huge military drills following a visit by senior US politician Nancy Pelosi to the island.

    Taiwan said China launched 11 ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan’s north-east and south-west coasts.

    Japan said five Chinese missiles landed in its waters as well, calling for an “immediate stop” to the exercises.

    China saw the visit, by the US house speaker Mrs Pelosi, as a challenge to its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.

    It sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under its control – by force if necessary.

    The US, for its part, does not officially recognise Taiwan, which has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950. However, Washington maintains a strong relationship with the island – which includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.

    “The exercises focus on key training sessions including joint blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, airspace control operation,” the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.

    Ms Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan on Wednesday fuelled tensions, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi describing it as “manic, irresponsible and irrational”. She is the most senior US politician to visit the island in 25 years.

    China responded by conducting an unprecedented launch of ballistic missiles and the military drills just off the Taiwanese coast.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had activated its defence systems and was monitoring the situation.

    Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs accused China of “following the example of North Korea in wilfully test-firing missiles into waters near other countries”.

    North Korea – a strong ally of China’s – has been accused of igniting tensions in the region by repeatedly launching missile tests in recent months.

    On Thursday, Japan voiced its strong protest over the Chinese missile launches.

    “We strongly condemn the act as it is a serious issue concerning Japan’s security and the safety of Japanese people,” Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said.

    China’s missile launches are causing disruption to shipping lanes and flights to and from Taiwan.

    Ships have been forced to re-route, with days-long disruptions expected to have an impact on supply chains with delays to global shipping.

    More than 50 international flights from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport have been cancelled.

    Source: BBC

  • Nobody would be prevented by China from coming to Taiwan -Nancy Pelosi

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday, August 2 2022 said China will not “stand in the way” of people visiting Taiwan. She  was speaking at a joint conference in Taipei with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen

    “I just hope that it’s really clear that while China has stood in the way of Taiwan participating and going to certain meetings, that they understand that they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan,”.

    Pelosi said the US congressional delegation’s visit to the self-ruled democratic island was a “show of friendship and support,” but also a source of learning and collaboration, after referencing previous trips made by US legislators.

    Pelosi reiterated the US’ support for Taiwan, again saying they had come to send an “unequivocal message—America stands with Taiwan.”

    “We have to show the world, and that is one of the purposes of our trip, the success of the people of Taiwan,” Pelosi said, pointing to the courage of the Taiwanese people to uphold democracy.

    “We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security, and we’re not backing away from that,” Pelosi said.

     

  • Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan: military drills invades Taiwan’s territory

    Beijing’s actions are perceived as a direct retaliation to the US House speaker’s visit to Taiwan when he complimented the self-governing island for having “one of the freest societies in the world.”

    According to the defense ministry, Chinese military drills staged close to Taiwan constitute a blockade of the island’s air and seaspace and have invaded its territory.

    The exercises by the Chinese navy and air force are seen as a direct response to the visit to Taiwan of top US politician Nancy Pelosi, the most senior American politician to visit in 25 years.

    The Taiwan Defense Ministry said China had broken UN rules and it would counter any incursions into its territory.

    It said the live-fire exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan were “endangering international shipping lanes, challenging the international order, undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and endangering the area”.

    And it accused Beijing of using psychological warfare, urging people to report “fake news” to the authorities.

    Ms. Pelosi had earlier praised Taiwan for being “one of the freest societies in the world” as she addressed the self-ruled island’s parliament during the visit that infuriated Beijing.

    Ms. Pelosi also met with Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, in the capital of Taipei on Wednesday.

    Ms. Tsai thanked Ms. Pelosi for her concrete actions to support Taiwan and said the island will not back down in the face of heightened military threats.

    The Taiwanese leader also told Ms. Pelosi she is one of the island’s most devoted friends and thanked her for her unwavering support on the international stage.

    Ms. Tsai added that Taiwan is a reliable partner of the United States and will continue to work with them to strengthen collaboration in security, economic development, and supply chains.

    The US House speaker’s unannounced visit to Taiwan has attracted fierce criticism from China and prompted Beijing to summon the US ambassador.

    Ms. Pelosi arrived in Taipei late on Tuesday on an unannounced but closely watched trip, saying that it shows unwavering US commitment to the island that Beijing says is part of China.

    “We commend Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world,” Ms. Pelosi told Taiwan’s parliament.

    She also said new US legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry to compete with China “offers greater opportunity for US-Taiwan economic cooperation”.

    A long-time China critic, especially on human rights, Ms. Pelosi is reportedly set to meet with a former Tiananmen Square activist, a Hong Kong bookseller who had been detained by China, and a Taiwanese activist recently released by China.

    While Ms. Pelosi is not the first house speaker to go to Taiwan – Newt Gingrich visited in 1997 – her visit comes as relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated sharply and with China a much more powerful economic, military, and geopolitical force than it was a quarter of a century ago.

    China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.

    The United States has warned China against using Ms. Pelosi’s visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

    Early on Wednesday, China’s customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white-striped hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan.

    On Tuesday, Beijing’s ambassador to London, one of his country’s most senior diplomats, warned the United States it is performing a “highly dangerous trick” over Taiwan and “those playing with fire will get burned”.

    Zheng Zeguang made the comments in a news conference, hastily convened, to respond to the arrival of Ms. Pelosi in Taiwan in defiance of Chinese demands to stay away.

    He said the visit “seriously violated” a long-standing “one China” principle that means democratically-governed Taiwan must not be treated by the United States as an independent authority.

    Mr. Zheng also had a warning for the UK not to “dance to the tune” of the United States.

    Source: skynews.com

  • US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan amid threats of Chinese retaliation

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, marking a significant show of support for Taiwan despite China’s threats of retaliation over the visit.

    Pelosi’s stop in Taipei is the first time that a US House speaker has visited Taiwan in 25 years. Her trip comes at a low point in US-China relations and despite warnings from the Biden administration against a stop in Taiwan. A Taiwanese official told CNN that Pelosi is expected to stay in Taipei overnight.

    Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit “honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”

    “Our discussions with Taiwan 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 House speaker’s statement said. “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.”

    The House speaker wrote an op-ed that was published in The Washington Post after she landed Tuesday, arguing that her trip demonstrated the US commitment to Taiwan under threat from China. “In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom,” Pelosi wrote.

    Pelosi is traveling with House Foreign Affairs Chairman Gregory Meeks of New York, Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano of California, and Reps. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, and Andy Kim of New Jersey.

    Pelosi’s stop in Taiwan was not listed on the itinerary of her congressional visit to Asia, but the stop had been discussed for weeks in the lead-up to her trip. The potential stop prompted warnings from China as well as the Biden administration, which briefed the speaker about the risks of visiting the democratic, self-governing island, which China claims as part of its territory.

    On Monday, China warned against the “egregious political impact” of Pelosi’s visit, saying that the Chinese military “won’t sit by idly” if Beijing believes its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” is being threatened.

    China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement after Pelosi landed, charging that her visit “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

    “It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence,’” the foreign ministry said. “China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States.”

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the decision to visit Taiwan was the speaker’s, noting there was a past precedent of members of Congress — including previous House speakers — visiting. “Congress is an independent, coequal branch of government,” Blinken said in remarks at the United Nations. “The decision is entirely the speaker’s.”

    White House officials also warned Beijing on Monday not to take any escalating actions in response to Pelosi’s trip.

    “There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit, consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” National Security Council Strategic Coordinator for Communications John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

    US President Joe Biden has said publicly that the US military did not believe it was a good time for Pelosi to visit Taiwan, but he stopped short of telling her directly not to go, two sources previously told CNN.

    The issue of Taiwan remains among the most contentious in US-China relations. Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, discussed it at length during a phone call last week that lasted more than two hours.

    Administration officials are concerned that Pelosi’s trip comes at a particularly tense moment, as Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress. Chinese party officials are expected to begin laying the groundwork for that conference in the coming weeks, putting pressure on the leadership in Beijing to show strength.

    While Biden has not endorsed Pelosi’s visit, US officials believe Chinese leadership may be conflating the House speaker’s trip with an official administration visit, and they’re concerned that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden, much, if at all, since both are Democrats.

    Pelosi has long been a China hawk in Congress. She’s previously met with pro-democracy dissidents and the Dalai Lama — the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who remains a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. She also helped display a black-and-white banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square two years after the 1989 massacre, and in recent years she’s voiced support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

    This story is breaking and will be updated.

    Source : bbc.com

  • Young people in Taiwan are learning to fight, see why

    Friends who know I am in Taiwan have been sending me increasingly alarming messages – “I hope you have your flak jacket with you!” “Does your hotel have a bomb shelter?”

    They’ve seen the fire-breathing rhetoric coming from Chinese state media, most notably the Global Times, and have concluded that Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan could end very badly.

    Indeed some very eminent US-based China scholars have said the same, calling the visit “reckless” and warning against “pushing Beijing into a corner”.

    That’s not how it’s viewed here.

    Freddy Lim is a one-time heavy metal singer, and now a ruling party MP. These days Freddy sports a short haircut and a smart shirt, but tattoos still peek out from beneath his neatly pressed cuffs.

    “There is a basic principle that we welcome high-level politicians like Nancy Pelosi coming to Taiwan. It’s very important. It is not a provocation against China. It is welcoming a friend in a normal way, just like any other country,” he told the BBC.

    This is something all the main political parties in Taiwan agree on.

    Charles Chen is an MP for the opposition KMT (Kuomintang) party and a former presidential spokesman.

    “I think this time if Speaker Pelosi can come to Taiwan, it will be a crucial time for the United States to show support to Taiwan, to Taiwan’s democracy,” he said.

    From Taiwan’s point of view, the arrival here of the third most powerful politician in the US carries huge symbolic significance. It also serves to normalize such high-level visits, which Taiwan would like to see a lot more of (the last one was 25 years ago).

    Taiwan military drillHANDOUT

    Taiwan showed off its firepower last week – but it has fallen behind China

    But by itself, Nancy Pelosi’s visit does not change the fundamental calculus – that Taiwan’s status as a free and democratic society is in jeopardy.

    There is a growing realization that China’s threats to “reunifying the island, by force if necessary” are real, and that China now vastly outmatches Taiwan in military capability.

    Last week Taiwan showed off its military power in a five-day extravaganza of live fire drills and air and naval maneuvers called Han Kuang 38.

    To the casual observer, it was an impressive show of modern military might. To specialists, it showed just how far Taiwan has fallen behind China.

    Its tanks, artillery, and fighter jets are old, its navy ships lack the most modern radar and missile systems and it has no modern submarines.

    There’s little doubt that in a head-to-head fight, China would win. But what would trigger a Chinese attack? For Beijing, the red line has traditionally been a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan.

    Mr. Chen says the current government of President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been getting dangerously close to that.

    “The condition for Beijing to attack Taiwan may be that it believes Taiwan is going independent and there’s no way to draw back,” he says.

    “So, if in the next presidential election the DPP candidate wins again, then maybe Beijing will make a decision to make an early attack on Taiwan to prevent it from going independent.”

    That is a rather self-serving argument from a party that is desperate to get back into power. But it does illustrate the deep dividing line in Taiwan politics.

    On one side is the KMT, which wants to assure Beijing that Taiwan will not change the status quo. On the other are those like Freddy Lim, who believe placating China has failed and that the only answer is for Taiwan to have a stronger defense.

    “We have tried to appease China for decades. And it just proves we cannot appease them,” he says.

    taiwan air defence drillEPA

    Taiwanese run for bomb shelters in an air defense drill earlier this month

    “After the Ukraine war, the polls clearly show that Taiwanese people support having a stronger defense… Especially the younger generation shows a strong will to defend our own country.”

    Mr. Lim is right that the Ukraine war has had a big impact here.

    Last weekend at a disused factory building half an hour outside Taipei, I watched around 30 young men and women learning basic gun skills. The weapons are powered by compressed air, but otherwise are identical to the real thing. The training company is run by Max Chiang.

    “Since February the numbers joining has jumped by 50% and the number of women joining is now 40-50% of some classes,” he tells me.

    “People have begun to realize the reality that a stronger country could invade a smaller neighboring country. They’ve seen what happened in Ukraine and it shows what could happen here.”

    Max Chiang

    Defense trainer Max Chiang says sign-ups to his class have jumped by 50%

    In a building next door, a more advanced group is going through street fighting scenarios. This group is in full camouflage, with body armor, helmets, and radio communications gear.

    At a table loading her gun is Lisa Hsueh.

    “If our tensions with China lead to war, I’ll stand up to protect myself and my family. That is the reason that I learned to use a gun,” she says.

    “Women like me don’t go fight at the front line. But if a war breaks out, we will be able to protect ourselves in our homes.”

    I ask her why she believes it was important to be ready to fight for Taiwan.

    “I cherish our freedom. We live in a democratic country. So, these are our basic rights. And we must uphold these values,” she answers.

    “China is a country without democratic rights. So I feel blessed to have grown up in Taiwan.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nancy Pelosi: Amid escalating tensions , US House Speaker set to arrive in Taiwan

    Ms. Pelosi’s flight to Malaysia on a US air force plane has left Kuala Lumpur. The US Navy has simultaneously deployed four warships east of Taiwan, albeit it is unknown if Ms. Pelosi is on that aircraft.

    Even though there has been no official announcement, local media in Taiwan has reported that Ms. Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Tuesday.

    The US airforce jet that Ms. Pelosi flew on to Malaysia has taken off from Kuala Lumpur – it is unclear if Ms. Pelosi is on the plane, but the US Navy has simultaneously deployed four warships east of Taiwan.

    A US official called these “routine deployments”.

    Prior to her arrival, China‘s foreign ministry confirmed there had been communication with the US, adding it wanted to be “clear about the gravity and sensitivity of this matter”.

    Ms. Pelosi began a tour of four Asian countries on Monday, starting in Singapore. She arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday for the second leg, where she met lower house Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun in parliament and then Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

    Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be annexed by force if necessary, has warned of repercussions, saying its military will “never sit idly by” if Ms. Pelosi pushes ahead with the visit.

    The country views Taiwan as a part of its own territory and interprets diplomatic exchanges with the US as a call to formalize its long-standing de facto independence.

    The visit would make her the highest-ranking elected US official to visit in more than 25 years.

    On Monday, the White House hit back at Beijing’s rhetoric, and said the US has no interest in deepening tensions with China and “will not take the bait or engage in saber-rattling”.

  • Nancy Pelosi begins Asia tour, with no mention of Taiwan

    The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is beginning a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her office says – with no mention of a possible visit to Taiwan.

    There has been intense speculation that she may visit the self-ruled island.

    Taiwan is claimed by China – which has warned of “serious consequences” if she goes there.

    No high-ranking US elected official has visited Taiwan in 25 years.

    Ms Pelosi, a California Democrat, tweeted that the six-person Congressional delegation tour would seek to “reaffirm America’s unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region”.

    Her office said the tour was to the “Indo-Pacific region” – “including” visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

    China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this in the future.

    Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. There was a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.

    The US has formal diplomatic ties with China, and not Taiwan.

    Ms Pelosi has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

    Her original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but she postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19.

    Earlier this month she said it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.

    President Joe Biden has said the US military believes a Pelosi visit to Taiwan is “not a good idea right now”.

    The statement from her office on Sunday said the tour would “focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region”.

    Their talks will also cover trade, the climate crisis and human rights.

    The delegates accompanying Ms Pelosi are leading members of the House of Representatives: Gregory Meeks, Mark Takano, Suzan DelBene, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Andy Kim.

    The last House Speaker to visit Taiwan was Republican Newt Gingrich, in 1997.

     

    Source: BBC

  • Biden administration working behind the scenes to convince Pelosi of the risks of traveling to Taiwan

    National security officials are quietly working to convince House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the risks her potential trip to Taiwan could pose during a highly sensitive moment between the self-governing island and China.

    Sources familiar with the speaker’s plans say she is planning to visit in the coming weeks as part of a broader trip to Asia and has invited both Democrats and Republicans to accompany her. If she goes, she would be the first House speaker to visit in a quarter century.
    The possible trip is highlighting the concerns within President Joe Biden’s administration over China’s designs on Taiwan as Beijing has stepped up its rhetoric and aggressive actions toward the island in recent months, including sending warplanes into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone several times.
    US officials have expressed concern that those moves could be precursors to even more aggressive steps by China in the coming months meant to assert its authority over the island.
    The war in Ukraine has only intensified those worries, as Biden and other top officials nervously watch to see what lessons China may be taking from the Western response to Russia’s aggression.
    Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping — with whom Biden expects to speak this week — is believed to be laying the groundwork for an unprecedented third term as president in the fall, contributing to the tense geopolitics in the region. Biden’s call with Xi was in the works before Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan became public, officials noted.
    Administration officials have shared their concerns not only about Pelosi’s security during the trip, but also worries about how China may respond to such a high-profile visit.
    With China recently reporting its worst economic performance in two years, Xi finds himself in a politically sensitive place ahead of an important meeting regarding extending his reign and could use a political win, multiple officials told CNN.
    Source: cnn.com

  • Pelosi Taiwan visit: Beijing vows consequences if US politician travels to island

    US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rumored plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this?

    China has warned of “serious consequences” if Mrs. Pelosi were to proceed with her visit.

    Second, in line for the presidency, Mrs. Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US politician to travel to the island since 1997.

    This rankles China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.

    Even the Biden administration has reportedly tried to dissuade the California Democrat from going.

    Last week, President Joe Biden told reporters “the military thinks it’s not a good idea”, but his White House has called Chinese rhetoric against any such trip “clearly unhelpful and not necessary”.

    The state department says Mrs. Pelosi has not announced any travel and the US approach to Taiwan remains unchanged.

    While the US maintains what it calls a “robust, unofficial relationship” with Taiwan, it has formal diplomatic ties with China and not Taiwan.

    Ms. Pelosi’s trip, if it were to happen, also comes amid increased tensions between Washington and Beijing – and ahead of a much-anticipated phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    Why would Pelosi want to visit Taiwan?

    There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress.

    And over a congressional career spanning 35 years, Speaker Pelosi has been a vocal critic of China.

    • Are the US and China heading to war over Taiwan?
    • The US watching China very closely on Taiwan – General

    She has denounced its human rights record, met with pro-democracy dissidents, and also visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

    Mrs. Pelosi’s original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but it was postponed after she tested positive for Covid-19.

    She has declined to discuss details of the trip, but said last week that it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.

    Why does China oppose the visit?

    Beijing views Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly raised the specter of annexing it by force if necessary.

    • What’s behind the China-Taiwan divide?
    • China and Taiwan: A really simple guide

    Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. This includes a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.

    On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned his country would take “firm and resolute measures” if Mrs. Pelosi went ahead with her visit.

    “And the US will be responsible for all of the serious consequences,” he said.

    A spokesman of the Chinese ministry of defense seemed to suggest there could even be a military response.

    “If the US side insists on going ahead, the Chinese military will never sit idle and will take strong measures to thwart any external interference and separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan’s independence,” Colonel Tan Kefei told China Daily.

     

    Source: bbconline.com

  • US Navy destroyer enters Chinese-claimed waters for third time in a week

    US Navy warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the third time in a week the vessel has entered waters claimed by China, heightening tensions between Washington and Beijing.

    Washington said the latest voyage by the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold demonstrated its “commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” but Beijing blasted it as a “provocation” that showed the United States was a “destroyer of peace and stability.”

    The strait is a 110-mile (180-kilometer) wide stretch of water that separates the democratic self-ruled island of Taiwan from mainland China.

    Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite China’s ruling Communist Party never having controlled the island — and considers the strait part of its “internal waters.”

    The US Navy, however, says most of the strait is in international waters.

    The Navy cites an international law that defines territorial waters as extending 12 nautical miles from a country’s coastline and regularly sends its warships through the strait in what it calls freedom of navigation operations, including on May 10 when the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal made a similar voyage.

    Wednesday saw the Benfold transit “through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” said US 7th Fleet spokesperson Lt. Nicholas Lingo.

    China reacted angrily to the ship’s presence in the strait and its military said on Wednesday it had followed and monitored the US vessel during its transit.

    “The frequent provocations and showing-off by the US fully demonstrate that the US is the destroyer of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the creator of security risks in the Taiwan Strait,” said Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command. “The theater troops maintain high alert at all times and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

    Last week, the Benfold performed two freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, near to contested islands where Beijing has built military installations.

    On July 13, the US destroyer challenged what the US 7th Fleet said are “excessive maritime claims” by Beijing around the Paracel Islands — known as the Xisha Islands in China, and on Saturday near the Spratly Islands — known as the Nansha Islands in China. Beijing also reacted angrily to the Benfold’s voyage near the Paracels.

    Tensions between the US and China over Taiwan have increased in recent days, with Beijing lashing out twice in the past week over US relations with the island.

    On Monday, Beijing said a $108 million US arms sale to Taipei “gravely jeopardizes China’s sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm relations between the two countries and their militaries.”

    And on Tuesday, a Beijing spokesperson said it “firmly opposed” a possible visit to the island by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

    Some reports have suggested Pelosi will visit Taiwan in August. Previously she had planned to take a US congressional delegation to the island in April, but the trip was postponed after she tested positive for Covid-19

    Source: CNN

  • US: Nancy Pelosi reelected speaker of House

    Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California was reelected speaker of the US House of Representatives for the 117th Congress on Sunday.

    Pelosi received 216 out of 427 votes to secure the speakership for a fourth term.

    Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California received 209 votes.

    The 80-year-old lawmaker has been leading House Democrats since 2003 and is the only woman to serve as speaker on the floor.

    During the vote, three Democrats defected, voting present: Reps. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

    “In a time marked by historically low trust in our government, new voices are necessary to moving forward and achieving real progress,” said Spanberger in a statement, according to CNN.

    After her win, Pelosi expressed her gratitude to her fellow Democrats.

    “I thank my Democratic colleagues in the Congress for the confidence you have placed in me by electing me Speaker, and will endeavor to meet the moment with courage, unity and grace,” she said.

    She pledged that with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the House will continue to work “to save lives and livelihoods, to build back better in a way that advances justice in America.”

    The vice president-elect said she was looking forward to working with Pelosi to “build a brighter future” for Americans.

    “Congratulations to fellow Californian, @SpeakerPelosi, for being reelected as Speaker of the House. I look forward to working together on behalf of the American people to move our nation forward and build a brighter future for generations to come,” Harris wrote.

    Source:www.aa.com.tr

  • Pelosi wins bid to lead Democrats in US House

    US Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday chose House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 80, to lead the party into the Joe Biden era and preside over their narrow House majority as the most powerful person in Congress.

    “Congratulations to @SpeakerPelosi, once again elected by House Democrats to be our fearless leader and nominee for Speaker of the House for the 117th Congress!” the Democratic caucus tweeted.

    Pelosi, the chief nemesis of outgoing President Donald Trump in Congress, has led her House caucus since 2003. While there have been calls within the ranks for new leadership, number 2 Democrat Steny Hoyer and number 3 James Clyburn were also on track to be re-elected to their leadership posts.

    A formal House floor vote for the speakership occurs in January after the new congressional session begins, and shortly before Biden takes office as the 46th US president.

    Source: punchng.com

  • Pelosi warns maskless lawmakers may be thrown out

    The US House of Representatives has ordered all members and staff to wear masks as the nation’s death toll from coronavirus passed 150,000.

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned anyone who breaks the new rule face being removed from the chamber.

    She took the decision after Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican often seen around the Capitol without a face covering, tested positive on Wednesday.

    He had been due to travel that day with US President Donald Trump.

    What did the House speaker say?

    Mrs Pelosi, a California Democrat, said on the House floor on Wednesday evening that members would be allowed to remove their masks when addressing the chamber.

    “The chair expects all members and staff to adhere to this requirement as a sign of respect for the health, safety, and wellbeing of others present in the chamber and surrounding areas,” she said.

    What did Louie Gohmert say?

    Mr Gohmert, 66, discovered he was infected when he was routinely tested under White House travel protocol because he had been due to fly with President Trump to Texas on Wednesday.

    The eighth-term lawmaker returned to his office to inform his staff in person of the positive result. He wore a mask during the meeting, according to US media.

    He also gave an interview in which he pondered whether his mask was to blame for infecting him.

    “I can’t help but wonder if by keeping a mask on and keeping it in place, I might have put some germs – some virus – on to the mask and breathed it in,” he told Texas station KETK.

    He was one of a contingent of around two dozen Republicans often seen on the House floor without masks.

    On Tuesday, Mr Gohmert frequently removed his face covering during a nearly five-hour hearing with Attorney General William Barr.

    A photo on Twitter shows the two men in proximity, neither wearing masks. According to the Department of Justice, Mr Barr will be tested for Covid-19 as a result of the interaction.

    Despite mixed messages early in the pandemic, public health experts now agree that wearing face coverings greatly reduces the spread of Covid-19, and is vital to controlling the infection’s spread.

    Mrs Pelosi said she would view “failure to wear a mask as a serious breach of decorum”, warning the House Sergeant at Arms could kick out anyone who did not wear a mask.

    According to GovTrack.us, 10 members of Congress – three Democrats and seven Republicans – have confirmed they tested positive, or were diagnosed with coronavirus.

    Source: BBC