House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, arrived in South Korea after a very tense and controversial visit to the island of Taiwan, leaving them to prepare for China to begin doing military drills off their coasts.
Whether or not you agree with Pelosi taking the trip in the first place, the one thing we should all be in agreement on is that it was way out of line for China to threaten to shoot down her plane. Pelosi, like her or loathe her — I happen to be in the latter category, how about you? — she is an elected official of the U.S. government and as such, should be treated with the same respect that China would no doubt expect from us if the tables were turned.
According to the Daily Wire, “Pelosi’s visit to offer U.S. assurances of support for the island’s democracy has roused the ire of China, prompting Beijing to schedule live-fire military drills this week. She is the first House speaker to visit Taiwan since Newt Gingrich’s 1997 trip. China considers Taiwan its own territory.”
“Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy,” Pelosi went on to say during a meeting with Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, according to a piece published by the New York Times. “America’s determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad.”
Pelosi’s visit seemingly offended the Chinese Communist Party, despite the fact that President Joe Biden and the rest of his administration stated they were not in support of the trip.
“We have to talk from strength,” Pelosi continued during the press event on the island. “We have to talk from what Taiwan has been so good about – as being technologically advanced, whether it’s in business or security. And we have to show the world.”
“And that’s one of the purposes of our trip: to show the world the success of the people of Taiwan. Their courage, their courage to change their own country to become more democratic, to become more democratic. Their respect for people and the rest, and quite frankly, a model in this region, in that respect – in those respects,” the House Speaker added.
Pelosi then went on to heap praise on Taiwan for the way they handled the coronavirus pandemic, met with human rights leaders, and called a trade deal between themselves and the United States.
However, while all of that was happening, Beijing began increasing their threats and warnings against the meeting and Pelosi being on the island, making announcements concerning trade curbs and military drills. The government of Taiwan also suffered from a series of hacks, which likely came from China.
Taiwan is now preparing for the worst, prepping air raid shelters where folks can seek refuge should China start launching missiles on the island.
“China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday that as a result of Pelosi’s visit, more punishments for both the U.S. and Taiwan would follow,” the Daily Wire reported.
“As for the specific countermeasures, what I can tell you is that they’ll include everything that should be included,” Hua went on to say, according to People’s Daily, which is a China state-affiliated media network. “The measures in question will be firm, vigorous and effective, and the U.S. side and Taiwan independence forces will continue feeling them.”
Let’s hope that Taiwan is able to live in peace and that China will opt not to use violence against the people of the Island in retaliation for Pelosi’s trip to what they believe is a breakaway piece of their own country.
This story syndicated with permission from michael, Author at Trending Politics
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