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US House Speaker, Pelosi lands in Taiwan despite China’s warnings
United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China that have sent tensions between the world’s two superpowers soaring.
Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years and Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation, setting the region on edge.
Live broadcasts showed the 82-year-old lawmaker, who flew on a US military aircraft, being greeted at Taipei’s Songshan Airport by foreign minister Joseph Wu.
“Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi’s official Twitter account tweeted moments after she arrived.
She added her visit “in no way contradicts” US policy towards Taiwan and Beijing.
Pelosi is currently on a tour of Asia and while neither she nor her office confirmed the Taipei visit, multiple US and Taiwanese media outlets reported it was on the cards — triggering days of building anger from Beijing.
The People’s Liberation Army said it was on “high alert” and would “launch a series of targeted military actions in response” to the visit.
“Those who play with fire will perish by it,” Beijing’s foreign ministry added.
No need for ‘crisis’
TAIWANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY / HANANADOLU AGENCYAnadolu Agency via AFP
China considers self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.
It tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.
In a call with US President Joe Biden last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Washington against “playing with fire” on Taiwan.
While the Biden administration is understood to be opposed to a Taiwan stop, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Pelosi was entitled to go where she pleased.
“There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding US policies into some sort of crisis,” he told reporters.
The last House Speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Kirby reiterated that US policy was unchanged toward Taiwan.
This means support for its self-ruling government, while diplomatically recognising Beijing over Taipei and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.
Moscow said it was “absolutely in solidarity with China”, calling the prospect of a Pelosi visit “pure provocation”.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has been accused of providing diplomatic cover for the Kremlin by blasting Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv.
As Pelosi’s plane neared Taipei Chinese state media said advanced Su-35 fighter jets were crossing the Taiwan Strait. The brief report had no details on the timing or precise location of the crossing.
Taiwan’s military later released a statement denying that any Su-35s had crossed the Taiwan Strait.
All eyes on Taiwan
Pelosi left Kuala Lumpur Tuesday after meeting Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.
So many people were tracking the US military plane ferrying her on FlightRadar that the website said some users experienced outages.
The plane took a circuitous route that studiously avoided the South China Sea — which Beijing claims — before heading up the east coast of the Philippines.
Press access around Pelosi has been tightly restricted and limited to a handful or short statements confirming meetings with officials.
Her itinerary includes stops in South Korea and Japan — but the prospect of a Taiwan trip had dominated attention.
Before her arrival, Taipei’s government had stayed silent on whether she would visit even as local media published reports showing her presence was all but guaranteed.
The capital’s famous Taipei 101 skyscraper was illuminated with the words “Speaker Pelosi… Thank You” on Tuesday night before her plane arrived.
‘Seek to punish Taiwan’
Taiwan’s 23 million people have long lived with the possibility of an invasion, but that threat has intensified under Xi, China’s most assertive ruler in a generation.
“Beijing shouldn’t get to decide who can visit Taiwan or how the US should interact with Taiwan,” Wang Ting-yu, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, told AFP ahead of the visit.
“I think China’s open intimidation is counter-effective.”
Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia programme at the US-based German Marshall Fund think tank, said the probability of Beijing choosing war was “low”.
“But the probability that… (China) will take a series of military, economic, and diplomatic actions to show strength & resolve is not insignificant,” she wrote on Twitter.
Taipei’s Council of Agriculture on Tuesday said China had suspended the import of some Taiwanese goods, including some fishery products, tea, and honey. The council said China cited regulatory breaches.
Pelosi’s potential visit has been proceeded by a flurry of military activity across the region that highlights how combustible the issue of Taiwan is.
Last week both Taiwan and China held live-fire drills.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, on Thursday, donated the sum of fifty million naira (₦50 million) toward the construction of the proposed Sheikh Agbotomokekere Mosque building project.
Oseni joined other dignitaries, religious leaders, and Muslim clerics to honour the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Grand Imam of Oyo State, and Grand Patron of the League of Imams and Alfas of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta States, His Eminence Sheikh AbdulGaniy Abubakre Agbotomokekere, during the annual Maolud Nabiyy celebration at the Ibadan Central Mosque, Oja Oba.
It was during the event that he announced the generous donation.
The Maolud Nabiyy celebration, organised by the Al-Imam Agbotomokekere Islamic Foundation, also featured the unveiling of the proposed mosque project and an award presentation ceremony.
Delivering an insightful lecture at the event, the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Dr. Yunus Tolhat Ayilara, who served as the Guest Lecturer, highlighted the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges.
In a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen the spiritual and social development of his constituency and state.
He commended the Al-Imam Agbotomokekere Islamic Foundation for its dedication to fostering a sense of community through faith, education, and shared values.
According to him, the mosque project symbolises unity and the determination of the people.
Reflecting on the significance of the proposed Agbotomokekere Mosque, the APC chieftain described it as a beacon of unity and religious harmony.
“This mosque project reflects our shared values and our commitment to building a community grounded in faith, love, and unity. I am honoured to contribute to this vision and support the Agbotomokekere Foundation in its efforts to promote peace and spiritual growth,” Oseni stated.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a record revenue collection of N5.7 trillion as of November 12, 2024, surpassing its yearly target by 10 percent.
This was disclosed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the ongoing 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference in Abuja.
Themed “Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,” the conference showcased the Customs Service’s progress in modernizing its operations and fostering collaborative partnerships.
“Today, I stand before you to demonstrate how our commitments in 2023 have evolved into tangible achievements,” Adeniyi stated.
He attributed the revenue growth to a series of reforms, including the implementation of a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, a revamped ICT infrastructure, streamlined inspection procedures, and enhanced automation.
Adeniyi explained that these changes reflect the agency’s commitment to elevating operational transparency and efficiency.
“We pledged to re-align our free trade operations, elevate cargo integrity standards, and expand our scanning capacities,” he said.
“Above all, we promised to usher in a new era of customs operations—one built on transparency, efficiency, and genuine collaborations with our partners.”
As of Tuesday, November 12, Adeniyi confirmed that the NCS collected N5.07 trillion, achieving the anticipated 10 percent revenue surplus.
“This performance validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” he added.
Adeniyi also highlighted recent strides in trade facilitation, revealing that six companies have been selected to benefit from the Authorised Economic Operators programme, which provides fast-tracked customs clearance and other trade facilitation benefits.
Similarly, the NCS has processed 21 requests under an advance ruling programme, designed to expedite customs decisions on import and export cargoes before they reach Nigerian ports.
The Comptroller-General expressed optimism about the NCS’s potential to drive further economic growth, citing the agency’s commitment to fostering partnerships and advancing innovative practices within the customs sector.
Nineteen out of the thirty-eight directors who were shortlisted to fill permanent secretary vacancies within the Federal Civil Service have failed the qualifying examination, a memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) revealed on Tuesday.
The memo, signed by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole on behalf of the examination committee, disclosed that the qualifying exam was conducted on Monday, November 11, 2024.
The Federal Government, through the OHCSF, launched the recruitment drive in October to fill permanent secretary vacancies in eight states.
Providing insights into the progress, Eno Olotu, Director of Press at OHCSF, stated, “Of the 38 eligible directors who sat for the exam, 19 have passed the first stage and will move on to the second stage, which will assess their competency in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government operations on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.”
Olotu highlighted the rigorous three-stage selection process, designed to ensure that only the most capable individuals are appointed to these high-ranking civil service roles.
This comprehensive approach, according to OHCSF, aims to elevate the quality of leadership across federal ministries.
The directors who advance beyond the ICT proficiency test will face a final stage on Friday, November 15, 2024, where a panel of senior government officials and private sector experts will conduct a final evaluation to determine their suitability for the permanent secretary positions.
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