Taiwan thanks G7 for supporting regional peace & stability amid China's growing aggression

A day after the Group of Seven (G7) countries appealed to the Chinese government to refrain from taking any coercive action against Taiwan in line with US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, President Tsai Ing-wen took to Twitter and expressed gratitude to G7 members for supporting Taiwan. In the post, she said Taiwan remained "committed to defending the status quo and our hard-earned democracy." "Thank you to the #G7 for supporting regional peace & stability. #Taiwan is committed to defending the status quo & our hard-earned democracy. We’ll work with like-minded partners to maintain a free & open Indo-Pacific," she said.  

Earlier on Wednesday, G7 foreign ministers and the EU's high representative for foreign and security policy issued a joint statement to express concerns about threatening actions by the People's Republic of China (PRC). According to G7 members, live-fire exercises and punitive economic measures announced by Beijing risked unnecessary escalation and urged the Chinese government to refrain from taking such actions against the independent state. Despite concerns raised by the G7 members, Chinese media confirmed the announcement of military exercises from August 4-7 in six areas near Taiwan.

After Pelosi's plane touched down in Taiwan for a 19-hour visit, Beijing announced to halt natural sand exports to Taipei. Also, it suspends the import of certain food products from the island. Reacting to China's announcement, the G7 members underscored Beijing's escalators' riposte stakes increasing uncertainties and could destabilise the region. "There is no justification to use a visit as a pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait," added the joint statement.

China sent 27 aircraft to ADIZ

It is crucial to note here that the Chinese government had warned Taiwan of a dramatic situation over allowing Pelosi to visit Taipei. It sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) hours after Pelosi's plane left Taipei. Despite the staunch warning of any untoward situation, the US Speaker visited the country and left for America on Wednesday. On the other hand, Pelosi issued a statement describing her tour as a "strong statement that America stands with Taiwan." She said that visit is part of broader travels in the Indo-Pacific, focused on security, prosperity and governance - on which Taiwan is a global leader.

China continue to lecture US over Pelosi's Taiwan visit

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dubbed Pelosi's visit "unhealthy" for "democracy" and added her visit only provoked and violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "What Pelosi has done is definitely not a defence and maintenance of democracy, but a provocation and violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. While Pelosi is the one performing this grandstanding act, it is the China-US relationship and the peace and stability in the region that is taking their toll," Chunying said after her departure.

Image: Twitter/@iingwen