Nancy Pelosi came, saw and left Taiwanese soil after just nineteen hours

Tuesday, August 2, 10:52 PM (Taiwan Time)

What many suspected, but no one could say for sure, turned out to be true on Tuesday: aboard the US government plane that landed in the Taiwanese capital Taipei is indeed Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

News channels around the world show Pelosi emerging from the fuselage of the plane late in the Taiwanese night and descending the plane stairs. Pelosi is awaited there by, among others, the Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As Pelosi sets foot on Taiwanese soil, The Washington Post an opinion article from her hand. In it Pelosi writes that in her view the United States cannot stand by while China threatens Taiwan ‘and democracy itself’. “By traveling to Taiwan, we honor our commitment to democracy,” said Pelosi.

Wednesday 3 August, 8.55 am

The next morning, 82-year-old Pelosi visits Taiwan’s parliament. She is warmly welcomed by Deputy Chairman Tsai Chi-chang, who sees in her a ‘true friend’. ‘I take that as a great compliment’, Pelosi responds.

Pelosi will not make an official speech, but she will address the parliamentarians. “We praise Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world,” Pelosi told the Taiwanese parliament.

10.40 am

Later in the morning, Pelosi meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The two politicians enter the press room of the presidential office in Taipei together. They introduce each other to everyone’s diplomatic delegations. Then the president bestows her country’s highest civilian honor on Pelosi: Tsai puts Pelosi on a blue sash and pins a brooch on her jacket.

In their separate statements, the politicians then express their friendship to each other. Pelosi says she wants to make it “unequivocal” that the US will continue to support Taiwan. The meeting will conclude with a group photo in front of the Taiwanese flag. The pair will hold a press conference later.

At the beginning of the afternoon

After their meeting, President Tsai and Pelosi have lunch with some prominent figures from Taiwan’s tech sector, including the founder and boss of the world’s largest chip maker, TSMC. The global chip shortage has increased the importance of this company for the US. Recently, the Biden administration passed a law that would make it more attractive for TSMC to open a factory there.

After lunch, President Tsai on Facebook know that Pelosi’s favorite dessert was on the menu: dark chocolate ice cream. In addition, Pelosi will receive a flower pot with orchids, painted in the colors of the USA and Taiwan.

Shortly after her meeting with President Tsai, Pelosi visits the National Human Rights Museum in Taipei. Pelosi also meets with some key Taiwanese human rights activists, including a former bookseller who fled from Hong Kong and was previously detained by Chinese authorities. Pelosia calls it museum ‘a tribute to heroes who have suffered and fought for Taiwan’s democracy’.

6.01 pm

Barely nineteen hours after her arrival, Pelosi leaves the island state. She continues her journey through Asia with a visit to South Korea: the plane she came on is heading for the capital Seoul. In a statement, Pelosi said China cannot prevent “world leaders or anyone else” from traveling to Taiwan to “pay respect to its thriving democracy.”