Hello viewers, thank you for watching this issue of “News Pursuit”, I am the host Guo Yasa. US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan from the evening of August 2 to the afternoon of August 3, Beijing time, becoming the highest-ranking US dignitary visiting Taiwan in 25 years. It is not the first time for a US government official at the Pelosi level to visit Taiwan. Why does the Chinese government keep saying harsh words to Pelosi and the US this time? Why does Pelosi insist on visiting Taiwan? What caused the fierce reaction of Chinese public opinion to this incident? In this issue of News Pursuit, we have invited former US diplomats and Chinese commentators to help us gain an in-depth understanding of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the purpose and reasons for the chain of events.
Before Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and online public opinion all pressed Pelosi with force and military threats. Why didn’t Pelosi change her itinerary to visit Taiwan?
Ge Tianhao: “Speaker Pelosi has long been concerned with human rights, concerned with civil liberties, democracy, and things like that. If you’re looking for an international example of a place where democracy thrives and works well, Taiwan is a good example. It’s A very successful democracy, a very successful economy. It has managed Covid-19 well. So out
For all these reasons, it’s only natural for Speaker Pelosi to go to this place. “
David Keegan is a lecturer in the China Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University, a former U.S. State Department diplomat and deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan. He said the Chinese threat instead prompted Pelosi to visit Taiwan.
Ge Tianhao: “I think, from her point of view, China’s threats are not a reason not to go. These threats actually become an additional argument for going. Everyone mentions a China principle, if you read the communique , which is actually a principle of peaceful settlement. That’s what we’ve been emphasizing. So Speaker Pelosi is now going to Taiwan, trying to send a signal to the government of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping that the United States remains firm A commitment to support a peaceful settlement and to oppose any unilateral disruption of the status quo. And that commitment goes beyond the Executive Branch, the White House, President Biden, Secretary Blinken, etc., and has broad support in the U.S. Congress. All of these are It’s the reason, so when she sees a threat from China against her, she’ll say, if they’re threatening, we need to be more explicit about that threat.”
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army began a three-day live-fire military exercise in seven waters around Taiwan on August 4. The military exercise originally planned to end at noon on the 7th continued to the 10th. On August 10, the Eastern Theater Command posted on Weibo that the military exercise has successfully completed various tasks and will continue to carry out military training and preparations, and regularly organize combat readiness patrols in the Taiwan Strait.
Ge Tianhao: “What Beijing is doing is unacceptable. It’s risky, it’s a threat to the stability of peace and democracy. I think it could destabilize the entire global order. Number one, they’re sending the signal that The People’s Liberation Army is training how to conduct military operations against Taiwan. It may speed up their schedules, it may improve their capabilities, which is not good. Also this may set back China’s goals because it will make Taiwan and The U.S. resists more firmly and accelerates its preparations to strengthen its defenses. From my point of view, this is not a good idea for Beijing.”
Why is the Chinese government furious over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan? Is this just a consideration of the territorial crisis for the Chinese government?
Wang Jian, a senior media person and current affairs critic: “Taiwan is a taboo and politically forbidden area in China. China has actually devoted huge political and diplomatic resources to the Taiwan issue, trying to find a way to block Taiwan and block Taiwan’s cooperation with Taiwan. The CCP’s own political status is related, because the Taiwan issue is not just a territorial dispute as we talked about, no, it’s not just a territorial dispute, it has something to do with the legitimacy of the CCP’s governance, that’s what we said Orthodoxy. Is the CCP orthodox? If the CCP is not orthodox, then the Republic of China is orthodox. If the Republic of China is orthodox, then the CCP has no legitimacy to govern. So the Taiwan issue involves the legitimacy of the CCP regime, so why is it To invest so many resources to block Taiwan. What does it mean for Pelosi to come to Taiwan to support Taiwan? If Pelosi can do this, other countries can do the same. When other countries do this, then Taiwan The so-called one-China principle becomes in jeopardy. The one-China principle involves the issue of the legitimacy of the CCP’s governance, so this has a very big impact on the CCP.”
Ge Tianhao: “First of all, this is not the first time the Speaker of the House of Representatives has visited Taiwan. Newt Gingrich (then Speaker of the US House of Representatives) visited in 1997, so this is not a completely new event. At least since January, China The government has already made it clear that they don’t want any surprises to happen. The next few weeks (the Beidaihe conference) will decide what happens in November, and from Xi Jinping’s point of view, the most sensitive decisions, people and policies will be here Period began. He was basically slapped in the face. The US said, I know you don’t want our Speaker of the House to show up, but she will still show up. I know it’s just a gesture, but it’s really a threat to the Chinese President’s face attitude.”
After Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, some angry Chinese netizens reacted violently, some threw things, some cursed, and some even slapped and self-harmed. There were also angry accusations that the Chinese government did not use force to stop Pelosi. Why are Chinese netizens so angry about Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan?
Wang Jian: “The Chinese government has always been doing this action to use the emotions of netizens to reflect its national will, but this thing has gone too far. The Chinese people really think that there is a cow behind the rope. Everyone thinks so, behind the rope. There is really a cow. In fact, this is a rope. The people really don’t understand it. In the end, when it was pulled out, it turned out that it was only a rope, and the people couldn’t stand it. So this is a cognitive dislocation, and the consequences, Whether it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of National Defense, it is shouting to the outside world, but this voice also spread to the country, but it didn’t frighten people overseas, and it fooled the people in China.”
Ge Tianhao: “I think one of the standard tools of politics, certainly one of the standard tools of authoritarian governments, is to use foreign affairs to distract its people from the suffering at home. You see the situation in China right now is not good. China There are a plethora of domestic security and economic issues to contend with that are causing pain for ordinary people. What would it do in a situation like this? One of the standard tricks is to distract people: let’s leave the Covid-19 lockdown aside Let’s talk about Speaker Pelosi who is in Taiwan. By the way, as the Chinese leadership, we will do everything we can to make sure you don’t get accurate information about what she said or did, you can only Hear our version.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on August 5 the cancellation or suspension of eight official communication mechanisms with the United States and imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her relatives. Is Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan really against the Chinese people as the Chinese government said?
Ge Tianhao: “The United States is a staunch supporter of Taiwan’s peaceful future. We are also a staunch supporter of the peaceful and prosperous future of the Chinese people. Reform and opening up began in 1978 during the Deng Xiaoping era. In the same month, China and the United States announced the establishment of diplomatic relations. Coincidence. It was US investment, US market and US technical assistance that played a big role in the success of China’s reform and opening up policies, including under Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping. We have always been a prosperous and stable China Future supporters. I think Speaker Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan is a signal of our support for China’s cultural democracy. I think our future will be better when there is a more stable and prosperous environment for the people of mainland China, Taiwan and the world.”
In the face of multiple political and social crises in China’s economy, employment, housing, travel, and financial thunderstorms this year, online public opinion has collectively turned to and concentrated fire on the United States and Taiwan because of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Wang Jian believes that this is Chinese brainwashing education ‘s results.
Wang Jian: “This concept of unity is actually instilled since childhood. What is the unity of the country is instilled from a young age, which is great righteousness. The so-called righteousness is the core and most valuable part of your life, which is national unity. It’s the brainwashing education we have received since childhood. These brainwashing educations are not so easy to change. These human tragedies happen every day in China and no one helps them, but when you talk about Pelosi going to Taiwan, the owners of these unfinished buildings The relatives of the Chain Girl, etc., they will forget everything and run against it. Why? What is this? This is a very large system maintained by the CCP, and the effect of it is the brainwashing project. So we often talk about how the CCP maintains its regime. The gun is on the left and the pen is on the right. What is the task of the pen? It is brainwashing, this is brainwashing
The result is nothing else. In fact, it is not complicated. The situation of the Chinese people is very clear to them. “
So how should the Chinese people view Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the relationship between the Taiwan Strait?
Wang Jian: “This matter. In fact, for the Chinese, the most important question is not whether Pelosi should go to Taiwan, but what kind of enlightenment Taiwan will give to the people of mainland China. After all, we ourselves What is our core interest as the people? The country exists for the well-being of the people, not for the people to sacrifice for the existence of the country. This is a value that reverses black and white. So what is the problem for the Chinese to figure out? Taiwan As the most advanced and developed entity in Asia, what has it demonstrated to China? We need a China that can protect the people, protect the people’s well-being, and seek maximum well-being for the people. It doesn’t matter what this country is, what is it called? It doesn’t matter, what matters is that it protects the people. A country that protects the people and provides the greatest well-being for the people is what we should want.”
Nancy Pelosi: “We’ve said from the beginning that we’re not here to change the status quo in Asia or change the status quo in Taiwan. It’s about the Taiwan Relations Act, U.S.-China policy, and everything that sets us up Relations legislation and agreements. Maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and maintain the status quo.”
Conclusion: Pelosi’s trip to Asia has come to an end, but there are still many variables in the future of the Taiwan Strait issue and cross-strait relations. On August 3, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced that it would suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan, and the General Administration of Customs of China suspended the import of citrus fruits, chilled white hairfish and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg August 4
The U.S. and other NATO officials are meeting regularly with officials in Taiwan, and there is no reason for China to overreact or threaten Taiwan because of Pelosi’s visit, he said. Audience friends, what do you think of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan? You are welcome to leave a message in the comment area and express your views. Thank you for watching this issue of “News Pursuit”, see you next time!
Reporter: Guo Yasa Editor in charge: Tianbian