US destabilizing world: Russia over Pelosi visit to Taiwan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Aug 13:12

Russia accuses the United States of bringing destabilization to the world over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova

Siding with its ally in East Asia, Russia underlined on Tuesday how the United States was bringing instability to the entire international arena, accusing Washington of destabilizing the world over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, which has been causing concern in China and the United States alike.

As tensions mount between Beijing and Washington over Pelosi's visit, several Chinese warplanes flew on sorties over the Taiwan Strait earlier today.

Chinese Navy warships have been deployed and Air Force aircraft carried out sorties near the median line of the Taiwan Strait as yet another warning to Washington over Pelosi's anticipated visit.

"Washington is bringing destabilization to the world. Not a single resolved conflict in recent decades, but many provoked ones," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on social media.

The US sanctions and means of dealing with the latest round of international tensions have culminated in Russia and China growing closer together than ever.

American officials often make discreet visits to show support to the island's separatist movement, but Pelosi's trip would be the highest-profile visit in recent history.

What is significant about the visit is that it comes at a time of great tensions between the two nations over Taiwan, and it would mark the first visit made by a US House Speaker to the Island since 1997.

Pelosi is currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the second leg of her Asia tour. Pelosi landed at a Malaysian air force base ahead of meetings with the prime minister and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, state news agency Bernama reported.

Nikkei Asia reported on Monday that the US has deployed naval and aerial military assets ahead of Pelosi's trek into Taiwan, as data for naval and aerial tracking shows that military ships and jets are being drawn closer to Taiwan.

The news agency added that the assets included the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which was previously in Singapore, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and the amphibious assault ship USS America, which were near Japan, as well as over 30 other warships, three submarines, and several fighter aircraft.

These sorties are not the first in light of Pelosi's anticipated visit, as the Chinese People's Liberation Army on Saturday held military drills with a firing exercise in Fujian, a province in the southeastern region of China, across the strait of Taiwan, according to the maritime administration of Pingtan county.

The latest warning was issued during a Chinese Foreign Ministry regular briefing. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian also said that because of Pelosi's status as the "No. 3 official of the US government," a visit to Taiwan, which China claims as its own, would "lead to egregious political impact."

No comment

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday declined to comment on the recent media reports concerning Pelosi, stressing only the importance of a stable relationship between the United States and China.

Asked to give an assessment of the reports on the visit on behalf of the Japanese government, Hayashi said: "As for the reports about Pelosi's visit, the Japanese government is not in a position to comment on it. With this in mind, our country generally views US-China stable relations as important, also serving the interests of the global community."

Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan are the confirmed stops for Pelosi's congressional delegation to the Asia-Pacific region, according to a statement issued on Sunday by her office, and the statement made no mention of a possible delegation visit to Taiwan.

"The trip will focus on mutual security, economic partnership, and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," Pelosi's office said in the statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week that Moscow hopes for no provocations against Beijing on the Taiwan issue, urging the US to remain committed to the One China policy.