Pelosi responds to Chinese sanctions: "Who cares?"
When asked about her thoughts on the Chinese sanctions imposed on her and her family, Pelosi responded, "Who cares?".
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told sources on Wednesday that her recent trip to Taiwan was intended to demonstrate a strong relationship based on the status quo.
"In terms of Taiwan, our purpose in going to Taiwan was to say that we have a strong relationship built on the status quo, which we support," Pelosi said during a press conference on her trip.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, when Pelosi was asked to comment on the sanctions China will impose on Pelosi and her close relatives in connection with her provocative visit to Taiwan, she responded, "Who cares?".
Pelosi and her delegates visited the island on August 2-3 as part of a broader trip throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
China condemned Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, as it is a delicate matter at the core of Chinese-American relations, calling her move a "very dangerous act of playing with fire."
The Biden administration defended the trip, claiming that it did not stray from historic norms of the relationship between the US, China, and Taiwan.
But the trip caused severe turmoil in the Taiwan Strait amid protesters contested her visit. Following her visit, Chinese military drills were carried out all across the vicinity of the island.
The Pentagon accused China on Monday of using its military exercises in the South China Sea , claiming they are meant to coerce Taiwan and the international community.
Earlier today, China announced the conclusion of its military exercises around Taiwan, adding that it will "regularly organize combat readiness patrols in Taiwan Straits."
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On her official website, Nancy Pelosi issued today a statement concluding her Congressional Delegation to the Indo-Pacific.
"Throughout our delegation’s many engagements in the region, we focused intensively on advancing security, economy, and governance," her statement read.
"Our bilateral discussions centered around seizing our shared opportunities and addressing our shared challenges, including upholding democracy in the face of autocracy, fostering robust economic growth including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and in governance, responding to COVID and saving the planet from the climate crisis," she said.