White House attempts to downplay effects of Pelosi's trip to Taiwan
4 Min Read
White House Press Secretary says there's no reason for Beijing to turn Pelosi's visit to Taiwan into a crisis.
-
White House (Archive)
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed Wednesday that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan does not change Washington's adopted policy regarding Taiwan.
During a press briefing, Jean-Pierre told reporters that "there's no reason for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis."
The Press Secretary said, "We have been very clear there's no change in our one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979."
Jean-Pierre said US President Joe Biden's relationship with Pelosi is good, and the two are in constant communication, adding that the White House does not specify or decide on Pelosi's travel destinations, but provides her with full support.
Pelosi leaves Taiwan following a provocative visit
It is noteworthy that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after a historic visit during which she met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and a number of officials in Taipei, which led to further escalation of tensions between Washington and Beijing.
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.
Read more: China curbs trade with Taiwan following Pelosi's visit
White House: Reducing price of oil is the most important thing
In a different context, White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration wants to see the price of oil decrease and will keep on working on achieving that goal.
"What we are focused on is the bottom line. For us, reducing the price of oil in the market is the most important thing and that's what we are seeing and that's what we are going to work on," Jean-Pierre said.
OPEC+ small raise in oil output described an 'insult' to Biden
Earlier in the day, OPEC+ agreed to produce 100,000 more barrels per day for the month of September, an increase that is the equivalent to 86 seconds of global oil demand, a move described by many analysts as an insult to US President Joe Biden.
“That is so small as to be meaningless. It is a minor blip from a physical perspective. It is almost offensive as a political gesture,” Raad Alkadiri, Managing Director for Energy, Climate, and Sustainability at Eurasia Group, said.
The group, which includes Russia and Iran as members, agreed to make this decision two weeks after Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia, in which the US President sought to pressure Saudi Arabian and UAE leaders to produce more barrels in order to cool down oil markets, amid the oil embargo placed on Russia.
Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia
Two weeks ago, Biden traveled to Riyadh in an attempt to repair relations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
During his visit, Biden stated that he expects further oil supply increases from the Kingdom to help tame domestic fuel costs after the visit.
However, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan denied much of what US President Joe Biden remarked, most notably about increasing oil production.
Earlier today, the Biden administration approved an arms sale worth $5.3 billion to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. However, it has not lifted its ban on offensive weapons sales to Riyadh.
