Troop movement in Taiwan Straits as Pelosi lands in Taiwan: Report

Beijing, Aug 02: As US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday disregarding Beijing's stern warnings, China's official media reported air and ground movement of troops in the Taiwan Straits, the waters that separate China and Taiwan.

Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday night. She is the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. As the Taiwan media reported her arrival, the Chinese official social media reported large-scale military movement in the Taiwan Straits.

PLA Air Force's Su-35 fighter jet(s) is crossing the Taiwan Straits, state-run China Daily reported, citing a social media account. Postings in the Chinese social media Weibo, akin to Twitter, showed footage of armoured vehicles on the move in the southern Chinese city of Xiamen - a port city on China's southeast coast facing Taiwan.

Another tweet by China Daily said the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command said its forces are on high alert and will "engage the enemy on orders". Beijing routinely protests any foreign dignitaries' visits to Taiwan, which claims its own and firmly insists all countries follow the One China policy acknowledging that the breakaway province is part of its mainland.

Shortly after Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, she reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island. She said, "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy."

"Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific - including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan - focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy," the US House Speaker statement.

Pelosi's plane landed in Taiwan amid a heightened security threat from China. Beijing has warned the US that it will "pay the price" if Pelosi visits Taiwan, which is the highest level of US visits in more than two decades.

She added, "Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan - and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo."

Beijing views Pelosi's visit as a provocation and has issued increasingly severe warnings that have not ruled out a military response. "What I can tell you is, the US will definitely have to bear responsibility and pay the price for harming China's sovereignty and security interests," foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told a press briefing in Beijing adding that China will take "firm and powerful" measures in response.