Chinese diplomat slams Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan visit
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The news comes following Ms Pelosi’s controversial trip to the disputed island which China claims belongs to the nation under the “One China” policy. Already, the diplomatic fallout of the visit has begun with China restricting commerce with Taiwan, as well as seeing Beijing perform live-fire exercises in the Straits of Taiwan during Ms Pelosi’s visit. Yet it is the long-term impact of the trip which will dictate the future of ties between Washington and Beijing.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute in China, Einar Tangen was asked about why the US ignored the warnings issued to the US prior to the visit of the House Speaker, the first since the 1990s when Newt Gingrich attended the island.
Mr Tanger said: “There are two different narratives from the US side, and one narrative from the Chinese side.
“US narrative 1: Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, decided on her own to visit Taiwan while on a trip to Asia.
“US Narrative 2: Joe Biden and Anthony Blinken wanted to have plausible deniability while pursuing a campaign aimed a pressuring China.
“The fact that the plane carrying the Speaker is a US air force plane, and the visit required 40 fighter jets, refuelling planes and the redirection of a nuclear aircraft carrier indicates a high level of planning and involvement.
“There is no apparent pluses for Taiwan, just verbal support, prior to an election Tai Yingwei is facing.”
Mr Tangen continued: “The Chinese narrative: Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has broken the basis of the diplomatic relationship that was set up in the early ’70s and ’80s, with the Three Joint Communiqués between the US and China where is was expressly agreed that there was only one China, that Taiwan would be removed from the United Nations and replaced on the Security Council, by the Peoples Republic of China.”
Mr Tangen then spoke of the long-term impact on ties between the two nations.
He said: “China has military, diplomatic and economic options against the US.
“Given the severity of the breach, militarily, China is already using live fire exercises around the island to send a message, diplomatically, either a downgrading of relations or the removal of Chinese and US Consulates could be an option; economically, additional duties on Chinese goods going to America could add to the existing inflation.
“Current actions make war an issue, but would require an additional step by Taiwan, such as a declaration of independence.”
Finally, Mr Tangen spoke of the relationship China will have with Taiwan following the visit.
He ended: “40 percent of the Taiwanese economy depends on Mainland China, there is no practical way to unravel the markets or investments.
“Beijing has shown consistent restraint on economic issues involving Taiwan, choosing instead to offer investment and working incentives.
“The people of Taiwan are Chinese, punishing the people of Taiwan for what they see as misguided steps if its leadership has not been an option, up to now.”
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In spite of pressure applied by China before, during and after the trip, the US has stated it would remain in strong support of Taiwan.
Ms Pelosi said of her trip: “We are proud of our enduring friendship.
“Now more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is crucial and that is the message we are bringing here today.”
Speaking of the Chinese exercises coinciding with the trip, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry described the military exercises as “irrational” and tantamount to a “blockade.”
It said the planned drills would violate Taiwan’s territorial waters, “threaten an international waterway, challenge the international order, undermine the cross-strait status quo and endanger regional security.”
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President Tsai, like Ms Pelosi, appeared unshaken by China’s warnings.
She said: “Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down.
“We will firmly uphold our nation’s sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defence for democracy.
“At the same time, we wish to cooperate and work in unity with all democracies around the world to jointly safeguard democratic values.”
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