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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 1 august 2022

Pelosi confirms trip to Asia, but no

mention of Taiwan

losi goes to Taiwan, but the
Ministry of Defense warned
last week the military would
take “strong measures to
thwart any external inter-
ference.” The foreign min-
istry said, “those who play
with fire will perish by it.”
The ruling party’s military
wing, the People’s Lib-
eration Army, has flown
growing numbers of fight-
er planes and bombers
around Taiwan to intimi- Broward Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Van Der Eems
date the island. describes the scene he encountered at the school after
A man uses a magnifying glass to read a newspaper headline “The Air Force’s multi- the mass shooting as he testifies during the penalty phase
reporting on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Asia visit, at a type fighter jets fly around trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter
stand in Beijing, Sunday, July 31, 2022 the treasured island of the Nikolas Cruz, Friday, July 22, 2022, at the Broward County
Associated Press motherland, tempering Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
By Joe McDonald and Lisa curred, it would signal no and enhancing the ability Associated Press
Mascaro change in U.S. policy. to maintain national sover-
(AP) — The speaker of the “Under the strong lead- eignty and territorial integri- Parkland trial a rare,
U.S. House of Representa- ership of President Biden, ty,” military spokesman Col.
tives, Nancy Pelosi, con- America is firmly commit- Shen Jinke said on Sunday, curtailed look at mass
firmed Sunday she will visit ted to smart, strategic en- referring to Taiwan.
four Asian countries this gagement in the region, Pelosi said her delegation shooting gore
week but made no men- understanding that a free includes U.S. Reps. Grego-
tion of a possible stop in Tai- and flourishing Indo-Pacific ry Meeks, chairman of the By Terry Spencer bate on gun violence,
wan that has fueled tension is crucial to prosperity in House Foreign Affairs Com- (AP) — Few Americans the public should see
with Beijing, which claims our nation and around the mittee; Mark Takano, chair- outside law enforcement the carnage mass shoot-
the island democracy as its globe,” Pelosi’s statement man of the House Commit- and government ever ers like Cruz cause, often
own territory. said. Taiwan and China tee on Veterans’ Affairs; see the most graphic with high-velocity bullets
Pelosi said in a statement split in 1949 after the com- Suzan DelBene, vice chair videos or photos from fired from AR-15 semiau-
she is leading a congres- munists won a civil war on of the House Ways and the nation’s worst mass tomatic rifles and similar
sional delegation to Singa- the mainland. Both sides Means Committee; Raja shootings — in most weapons. Others dis-
pore, Malaysia, South Ko- say they are one country Krishnamoorthi, a member states, such evidence agree. They say the pub-
rea and Japan to discuss but disagree over which of the House Permanent is only displayed at trial lic display of such videos
trade, the COVID-19 pan- government is entitled to Select Committee on Intel- and most such killers die and photos would add
demic, climate change, national leadership. They ligence and chair of the during or immediately to the harm the victims’
security and “democratic have no official relations Subcommittee on Econom- after their attacks. They families already endure
governance.” but are linked by billions of ic and Consumer Policy of never make it to court. and might entice some
Pelosi has yet to con- dollars of trade and invest- the House Committee on That has made the pen- who are mentally dis-
firm news reports that she ment. Oversight and Reform, and alty trial of Florida school turbed to commit their
might visit Taiwan. Chi- The United States switched Andy Kim, a member of the shooter Nikolas Cruz for own mass shooting. They
nese President Xi Jinping diplomatic recognition House Armed Services and his 2018 murder of 17 believe such evidence
warned against meddling from Taipei to Beijing in Foreign Affairs Committees. people at Parkland’s should remain sealed.
in Beijing’s dealings with 1979, but maintains infor- A visit to Taiwan would be a Marjory Stoneman Doug- doesn’t believe releasing
the island in a phone call mal relations with the island. career capstone for Pelosi, las High School unusual. such videos and photos
Thursday with his American Washington is obligated by who increasingly uses her As the worst U.S. mass would have the political
counterpart, Joe Biden. federal law to see that Tai- position in Congress as a shooting to reach trial, impact some think. Polls
Beijing sees official Ameri- wan has the means to de- U.S. emissary on the global the surveillance videos show that most Ameri-
can contact with Taiwan fend itself. stage. She has long chal- taken during his attack cans already support
as encouragement to Washington’s “One China lenged China on human and the crime scene stronger background
make its decades-old de policy” says it takes no posi- rights and wanted to visit and autopsy photos checks for gun buyers
facto independence per- tion on the status of the two Taiwan earlier this year. that show its horrific af- and bans or restrictions
manent, a step U.S. lead- sides but wants their dispute In 1991, as a new member termath are being seen on AR-15s and similar
ers say they don’t support. resolved peacefully. Beijing of Congress, Pelosi irked by jurors on shielded weapons, said Dunning,
Pelosi, head of one of three promotes an alternative Chinese authorities by un- video screens and, after whose mother was mur-
branches of the U.S. gov- “One China principle” that furling a banner on Tianan- each day’s court session, dered by a gunman.
ernment, would be the says they are one country men Square in central Bei- shown to a small group Since most of the worst
highest-ranking elected and the Communist Party is jing commemorating those of journalists. But they U.S. mass shooters were
American official to visit its leader. killed when the Communist are not shown in the gal- killed by themselves or
Taiwan since then-Speaker Members of Congress pub- Party crushed pro-democ- lery, where parents and police during or immedi-
Newt Gingrich in 1997. licly backed Pelosi’s interest racy protests two years spouses sit, or to the gen- ately after their attack,
The Biden administration in visiting Taiwan despite earlier. eral public watching on it is rare for anyone out-
didn’t explicitly urge Pelosi Chinese opposition. They “It’s important for us to TV. side government to see
to avoid Taiwan but tried to want to avoid being seen show support for Taiwan,” Some online believe that such surveillance videos
assure Beijing there was no as yielding to Beijing. Pelosi, a Democrat from should change — that or police and autopsy
reason to “come to blows” Beijing has given no details California, told reporters to have an informed de- photos.q
and that if such a visit oc- of how it might react if Pe- this month.q