EDITORIAL: Defying President Joe Biden’s advice and provoking President Xi Jinping’s stark warning, the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan Tuesday night to “express solidarity with Taiwan”, disregarding the fact that the US-China relationship has been strained for years over issues such as Taiwan and the world economy.
“Our congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy,” she said in a statement shortly after landing at Taipei airport, amid welcome cheers and ‘Yankee go home’ shouts. Pelosi is second in line to US presidency and she was the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, leaving no option for the White House except murmuring: “There is no reason for this to erupt into conflict. There is no change to our policy,” said NSC spokesperson John Kirby.
The Chinese military aircraft did fly over the Taiwan Strait but the warplanes didn’t intercept Pelosi’s flight. Taiwan is part of China and the Chinese leadership didn’t want its people suffer the rigours of war, knowing full well that majority of them believe that they are the inhabitants of a province of China. And also that Pelosi came to refurbish the sagging morale of the incumbent government, which foresees defeat in upcoming presidential election. China wants peace and not war in the Taiwan Strait because, as President Xi says: “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan, and Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of motherland”.
However, China formally protested Speaker Nancy Pelosi trip to Taiwan, saying it seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations”. “Those who play with fire perish by it,” said the Chinese foreign ministry. Yesterday, China, therefore, sanctioned Pelosi and her immediate family members over trip to Taiwan, pointing out that the visit was an ‘egregious provocation’.
If Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan had a domestic dimension as she wants to eat away President Biden’s popularity as his performance index is falling by the day, her visit to Taiwan is also in clear violation of One-China Policy agreed to be the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the Shanghai Communiqué. No wonder then a number of countries have questioned the purpose of an American politician’s visit to Taiwan in violation of the One-China policy. Russia said it was “absolutely in solidarity with China”, calling Pelosi’s visit “pure provocation”. Pakistan has put its weight behind the One-China policy, issuing a statement that it supported “China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Certainly, the provocations like the one Speaker Nancy Pelosi has triggered have the potential to destabilise Asia.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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