Tensions were seemingly running high between China and the island of Taiwan long before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., made an official visit to Taiwan this week, while also hitting various locales and meeting governmental leaders throughout Asia.
However, Pelosi's trip might have exacerbated the differences among China, Taiwan and the Western superpowers that have pledged support to Taiwan over the past 50-plus years.
Put another way, Pelosi's presence on Taiwan soil, whether intentional or not, has put a public face on the China-Taiwan rivalry.
Here are five ways in which China has retaliated against Taiwan:
Import Bans
On Wednesday, or shortly after Pelosi and her Democratic Party delegation touched down in Taiwan, China placed trade restrictions against Taiwan, banning crucial imports such as citrus and fish.
China also halted the exporting of sand, a key construction material for Taiwan.
According to Bloomberg, China's various bans could affect as many as 100 Taiwanese companies, while accounting for approximately $328.3 billion in the bilateral trade exchange.
The Summons of a U.S. Ambassador
Citing a Wednesday press release from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns attended an "emergency meeting" in Beijing to discuss "stern representations and strong protests" about Pelosi's stop in Taiwan.
The release characterized Pelosi's trip as "a deliberate provocation and a playing with fire" that violated the One China policy.
The press release also accused the U.S. of omitting phrases like "Taiwan is a part of China" from its State Department website and including Taiwan in its Indo-Pacific strategy.
Military Drills
News broke on Thursday of China launching missiles throughout the waters of the Taiwan Strait and deploying planes and warships in the area.
And over the next week, the Chinese People's Liberty Army plans to execute live-fire military drills — both by air and sea — around Taiwan, "effectively creating a blockade around the island," according to The Hill.
Drones
Regarding other air exercises from Thursday, Reuters reported that a pair of Chinese drones twice flew through a restricted area over Taiwan's Kinmen Islands.
The main island of Taiwan has a number of smaller islands and islets in the East and South China Seas; the Kinmen Islands are "heavily fortified," according to The Hill.
Also, Taiwanese officials speculate the Chinese flyovers were primarily intelligence-gathering missions.
Cyberattacks
Before Pelosi's delegation reached the island, the office of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was hit by cyberattacks.
Tsai's office said they encountered denial-of-service attacks (DoS), which are generally designed to overwhelm computer systems.
Taiwan's foreign and defense ministries — along with the island's largest airport — were also reportedly the subject of cyberattacks.
Citing other reporting, television screens in Taiwanese 7-Eleven convenience stores were flashing signs that read, "Warmonger Pelosi get out of Taiwan."
In January, or roughly a month before the Ukraine-Russia war began, the Ukrainian government incurred similar cyberattacks to its computer systems. Ukrainian officials believe the Kremlin was involved in the various attacks.
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