China has announced unspecified sanctions on Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family, following the visit by the speaker of the United States House of Representatives to the self-ruled island of Taiwan earlier this week.
A Chinese foreign ministry statement on Friday said Pelosi had disregarded China’s concerns and resolute opposition to her visit – China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes it having its own engagements with foreign governments.
There were no details about the sanctions on Pelosi, but such moves are generally mostly symbolic in nature.
Slamming her trip as a provocative action that undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Beijing has moved to halt cooperation with the US on eight specific measures, including climate change, military issues, anti-drug work, talks on cross-border crime prevention and on repatriating undocumented migrants.
It has also held live-fire drills in waters near Taiwan – the largest conducted by China in the Taiwan Strait – that are expected to go on until Sunday.
Pelosi, the second in line to the presidency, was the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
On Thursday, the White House summoned Chinese ambassador Qin Gang to condemn escalating actions against Taiwan and reiterate that the US does not want a crisis in the region.
SOURCE: ALJAZEERA
