Lavrov: Pelosi visit sign of US lawlessness despite China's warnings
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov categorizes Pelosi's Taiwan trip as a demonstration of the US administration's irresponsibility.
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Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on July 21, 2022 (AP)
"Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has been driven by Washington’s aim to exhibit its immunity and lawlessness," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin on Wednesday.
"I cannot tell what was their (the Americans’) motivation but there are no doubts that it reflects the very same policy we are talking about with regards to the Ukrainian situation," Lavrov noted
“This is a desire to prove to absolutely everyone [their] impunity and display their lawlessness. ‘I do whatever I want’ - it’s about like this,”. The top Russian diplomat reiterated that there was no "reason to create such an irritant literally out of nowhere, fully aware what it means for the People’s Republic of China."
Pelosi’s trip adds fuel to the fire
China condemned Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, as it is a delicate matter at the core of Chinese-American relations, calling their move a "very dangerous act of playing with fire."
Pelosi’s trip is considered the first visit of a Speaker of the US House of Representatives to the island of Taiwan in 25 years – much to China's discontent. Warnings between Beijing and Washington have been consistent, starting shortly before Pelosi’s arrival, with Beijing cautioning Washington that if Pelosi paid a trip to Taiwan, this would generate repercussions and China would resort to drastic measures.
“No place for US hegemony”
On Tuesday, Lavrov’s statement noted that the Russian side deemed this "visit a clear provocation in keeping with the US’s aggressive policy of comprehensive containment of the PRC." The Russian administration further emphasized that Washington "refrain from actions, that undermine regional stability and international security, and to recognize the new geopolitical reality, which has no place for US hegemony."
The Biden administration, however, disclosed that the trip to Taiwan does not breach the integrity of China’s sovereignty.
