On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region, with connivance and arrangement from the US Government. Such scrupulous act seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty, interfered in China’s internal affairs, breached the US’s commitments?to China, gravely undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sent a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States. China has also adopted a series of countermeasures. I would like to make three points concerning this issue.
I. Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a blatant provocation and political gamble
The visit of Pelosi to Taiwan is a grave provocation that upgraded substantive exchanges between the US and Taiwan. It is a serious violation of the one-China principle.
The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relations, and a red line that cannot be crossed.
In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Congress, as a part of the US Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the US Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by US congressional members, and the US executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the US Congress and the number three figure in the US Government, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade US official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.
Pelosi’s stunt once again bankrupts the US?politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves that the United States is the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker for?regional stability.?It attests to the confrontational and dangerous nature of the US “Indo-Pacific strategy”, and the US hypocrisy?and double standards on?international rules.
II. One-China principle cannot be trampled on
There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community, a basic norm in international relations, and an inherent part of the international order after World War II.
The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.
We are living in the 21st century. The world must never allow the US to see itself as a “world policeman” or an “international judge” and continue to treat other sovereign nations like George Floyd as if the US can just bully and strangle them at will. If China does nothing about the US’s relentless interference in our internal affairs and violation of our sovereignty or does not firmly resist the US’s reckless and irresponsible behavior, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs stipulated in the UN Charter and other basic norms in international relations will become nothing but words on paper, and the world will be again thrown back to jungle rules. The developing countries which account for over 80% of the world’s population could well become the next target bullied by the US with its power at anytime. For this exact reason, already more than 160 countries have made their voice of justice heard. They reiterated their commitment to the one-China principle and expressed support for China’s efforts to firmly uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
III. China’s countermeasures are justified, necessary, and proportionate
There is a voice claiming that China overreacted on Pelosi’s visit. This reminds people of the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. It is time for those who make such a rhetoric to get rid of its arrogance, selfishness, and hypocrisy and bullying practices.
The context and the events that led to the tensions in the Taiwan Strait are crystal-clear. The US is the unprovoked provocateur and maker of the crisis. China has acted in legitimate self-defense only after the US made this egregious provocation. This logic is rather clear.
China’s countermeasures are necessary as a warning to the provocateurs and as a step to uphold our sovereignty and security. This cannot be challenged. Now certain people accuse China of “overreacting”. How hypocritical! If they truly care about regional peace and stability, why hadn’t they stood up and tried to dissuade Pelosi early on? Couldn’t they have seen this coming and prevented it?
On such an issue concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, China’s countermeasures are justified, necessary and proportionate. China’s military exercises and training activities are open, transparent, and professional as well as in line with domestic law, international law, and international practice, with an aim to warn the perpetrators and punish the “Taiwan independence” forces.
China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US and several of its sidekicks still grossly interfere in our internal affairs and undermine our sovereignty and security. But China is not the China 120 years ago. In the face of the great cause of national unification, the Chinese people have the gut not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity. The Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people!
