US House Speaker Pelosi departs from Taiwan after high-stakes trip

Taipei: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end on Wednesday as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip which raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

"Our delegation had the distinct privilege of meeting with the President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen today. We discussed how America and Taiwan can deepen our economic ties, further strengthen our security partnership and defend our shared democratic values," Pelosi said in a tweet. The US House Speaker, the highest-level US official to visit Taiwan in over twenty years, reaffirmed America's commitment to the people of Taiwan for decades to come.

"It was also my high honor to receive from President @iingwen of Taiwan the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon: a symbol of our treasured friendship. Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan- now and for decades to come," she added.

The US Congressional delegation landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night. The US House Speaker Pelosi has since held several discussions with top leadership in Taiwan including President Tsai Ing-wen.
"There is a struggle between democracy and autocracy in the world. We cannot back away from that. As China uses its soft power in order to gain support, we've to talk about Taiwan in terms of its technological advancement and show people Taiwan's courage to become more democratic," Pelosi said in a response to a question about how an invasion can be avoided.

Responding to the aggressive response from China over her visit, Pelosi said that the demonstration of democracy offered a strong contrast to what's happening in the country. She also said, "No more evidence is needed on what happened in Hong Kong, one country two systems didn't happen. We don't want anything to happen to Taiwan by force."

During talks with Taiwanese leadership, Pelosi reiterated Washington's support for the island country and said that the US' determination to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty is "iron-clad".
"America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. On this strong foundation, we have a thriving partnership grounded in self-government and self-determination focused on mutual security in the region and the world committed to economic prosperity," she said.

On Tuesday night, Pelosi had expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China. She reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts long-standing United States policy on the self-governed island.

"Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy," Pelosi said in a statement.

China firmly opposed the US House Speaker's Taiwan visit terming the trip a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.
It has also announced live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan in response to Pelosi's visit. (ANI)