中文
By Marriyam Siddique
The island of Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. It is an undeniable reality that no one can dispute. The visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in early August, a democratic hawk, is nothing more than an act of provocation. By visiting the Taiwan region, she violated China's sovereignty. In response, from August 4 to 7, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan and commenced joint military operations on a scale that was reportedly greater than that of the Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996.
As a response, China sanctioned Pelosi and her immediate family members. But the U.S. did not change its daredevil behavior and just after 12 days of Pelosi's visit, a delegation of U.S. lawmakers visited Taiwan on August 14. Political strategists in the U.S. set it up as a trap. By doing so, the U.S. hopes to stir up tensions in the Taiwan Strait and destabilize China. The U.S. should drop their "Taiwan card" and pursue a new strategy to address the "China threat" because it is significant to remember that China has a spine and is skilled at handling its adversaries.
The U.S. is a frequent interferer. It doesn't comprehend what sovereignty is or how it works, thinks of itself as the world's Godfather, and deliberately interferes in the affairs of other states. As British philosopher Bertrand Russell puts it, "The United States emerged at Hiroshima as the arbiter of world affairs and self-appointed policeman of the globe." The aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing is something the world must not forget. This time, the U.S. is "playing with fire."
That's why after Pelosi's visit, China halted dialogue with U.S. on major issues – from military relations to climate change. However, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns asserted that "China is overreacting" and "manufacturing crisis" in the Taiwan Strait. How can China negotiate with such a state who does not respect its sovereignty and the one-China principle?
The Biden administration's actions were highly reckless when they claimed that "he was unable to rein in the House speaker." A policy consensus should not be the issue of a democratic state. What's so difficult about it? Policy cohesion is the essence of a democratic state. The U.S. was flat-out lying. They were merely attempting to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through provocations, which sparked a new round of tensions and formidable obstacles.
Here, the question arises of whether the visit of U.S. lawmakers change China's position on Taiwan. It didn't, and it certainly wouldn't. Consider that China's political behavior has always emphasized regional cooperation, peace and stability and that the country is committed to peaceful unification. Unfortunately, Pelosi's reckless and provocative visit undermined the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, raising a question mark about the U.S.'s commitment to its China policy. An apparent betrayal of the one-China principle and violation of United Nations Resolution 2758 are displayed during Pelosi's visit, as evidenced by the indifferent behavior of the Biden administration.
Pelosi claimed that the reason for the trip was her desire to "show support for Taiwan's vibrant democracy." However, the U.S. has little regard for Taiwan or its residents. As Zhong Xiangyu, a political commentator, says: "The U.S. does not care about the people of Taiwan. They see Taiwan as nothing but a perfect natural 'aircraft carrier' that can't be sunk."
Similar to the U.S.'s earlier interventions in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan, the democracy rhetoric is only a cover to interfere in others' affairs for the sake of its own political and economic interests. If a conflict breaks out in East Asia, the U.S. will gain the most since it will have another chance to boost the fortunes of its arms industry by selling its weapons to China's opponents.
The public's perspective is crucial to the success of states' policymaking efforts. Following Pelosi's controversial visit, a Yahoo Taiwan online poll revealed that "almost 78 percent of people in Taiwan have little or no confidence in Pelosi's vow." The Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should refrain from acting as "pawns" in the hands of the U.S. and from using the "victim card" while dealing with U.S. policymakers. The U.S. government's behavior is entirely unrelated to democratic principles. Trusting the U.S. could be a catastrophic error. In fact, it is yet another instance of the U.S.'s vile pursuit of hegemony under the garb of democracy.
Marriyam Siddique is an independent researcher who has a doctorate in international relations from Jilin University, China.
