The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family on Friday in response to her early August visit to Taiwan.
Pelosi and five other House Democrats visited Taiwan as part of a congressional delegation to East Asia. The trip also included stops in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. Republicans praised Pelosi for going through with the visit despite threats from China and public misgivings from the Biden administration. (RELATED: Military Believes Pelosi’s Reported Trip To Taiwan Is ‘Not A Good Idea,’ Biden Says)
“In disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting China’s Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. It gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. In response to Pelosi’s egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
UPDATE: China – US – Taiwan
• China sanctions Pelosi
• Suspends dialogue w US on mil., Climate Change
• US summons China Amb Qin Gang
• China Summons EU diplomats
• 68 China ✈️,13🚢near Taiwan strait
• 5 missiles land in Japan Econ Zone
• Pelosi concluding visit to Japan— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) August 5, 2022
In addition to the sanctions on Pelosi, China flew 68 planes into Taiwan’s airspace and sailed 13 ships into the island nation’s waters. In response, President Joe Biden called Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang to inform him that the U.S. would “not be deterred from operating in the seas and skies of the western Pacific,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
China has previously sanctioned U.S. lawmakers for speaking out against their human rights abuses. The communist dictatorship sanctioned Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, and Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey in 2020 in response to Trump administration sanctions. China also sanctioned former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pelosi did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.