China halts climate, military cooperation with US over Pelosi visit

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that the country would halt its cooperation with the U.S. on military and climate matters in response to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) trip to Taiwan.

The foreign ministry announced eight “countermeasures” against Pelosi after she visited Taiwan “in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations.”

China will no longer take part in the previously planned China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk, the Defense Policy Coordination Talks or the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings.

The government is also suspending cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal matters, cooperation against transnational crimes, counternarcotics cooperation and talks on climate change.

Pelosi and a delegation of House Democrats touched down in Taipei on Tuesday, where they discussed security issues with the Taiwanese government as part of a larger trip to the Indo-Pacific region.

China claimed that the visit violated its “one-China principle” and that “it gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence.’”

Earlier Friday, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry announced sanctions against Pelosi for her “disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition” when she visited Taiwan, which Beijing claims sovereignty over.”

“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,” the foreign ministry wrote, calling the trip an “egregious provocation.”

Following Pelosi’s visit, China began conducting military drills in the waters surrounding Taiwan. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang was summoned in response to the military action and warned that it is “irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”