Cool heads needed as US provokes China
The visit by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on August 2, 2022, to Taiwan has brought tensions in that highly volatile area to a boil.
The Chinese Government has promised retaliation for the visit, and has already started holding military drills off the cost of Taiwan.
China has declared Taiwan a part of its territory, and refuses to recognise that country’s independence.
It has corralled the rest of the world to play along and recognize its dominion over Taiwan through the “On-China policy,” which states that Taiwan is a part of China.
Taiwan became autonomous after the leadership of the Republic of China (ROC), who were fighting a civil war in China with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), fled to the island after the second world war. Until that time, Taiwan was administered by Japan, which surrendered the territory after defeat by the Allied powers.
Since then, Taiwan has been administered as an autonomous province, complete with all the institutions of state, including holding elections.
However, it is no longer recognised by the United Nations, which buckled under Chinese pressure to remove Taiwan from its list of recognized states.
The world, however, has recognised China’s claim of Taiwan, which sees reunification with that country as the ultimate end of the relationship.
This uneasy relationship has prevailed for decades, and even the US has accepted this state of affairs.
China has allowed a pretty laisses-faire policy toward Taiwan, which has seen that country not only blossom into one of the world’s leading economies, but also buy arms, and sign trade deals with other countries.
So, why would Pelosi take such a provocative move, one she knows full well would trigger tensions throughout that region.
First, there is zero risk to the US. If any conflict occurs, it will take place in Taiwan.
This is more like how European countries have been cheerleading and rooting for Ukraine as Russia bombs it out of existence.
Secondly, Pelosi holds zero responsibility in the matter. As such, she is operating with complete impunity. The fallout from the audacious move will land squarely on the desk of US President, Joe Biden.
Surprisingly, Biden, and the Pentagon, simply rolled over and let Pelosi walk all over them.
The visit was very unfair to Taiwan. Taiwan has lived under the shadow of an aggressive and belligerent dictatorial regime. Taiwan has for decades walked a very thin line, treading very carefully. Its cautious approach has so far paid off.
Pelosi has undone all that work with a one-day visit with no benefits to Taiwan, but to provide herself with a photo opportunity.
Pelosi put Taiwan in a very difficult position. Taiwan could not tell Pelosi not to visit, yet they knew that China would take this as an extreme provocation. China had already made its view of the tour very clear.
That carefully woven stance has been thrown out of the window, and China is raging. Taiwan now faces very uncertain future. All so that a US politician could feed their ego! It is very insensitive and unfair.
The visit by Pelosi has put the world on notice. It’s frightening that the US has turned a certain corner, where it is ready to risk a global war with China.
It is time for cool heads to prevail. And Biden must surely wake up and become more proactive in taking charge of US foreign policy.
The world has now seen how the newly stablished global powers are ready to flex their muscles over their territorial claims. And it looks like the US has decided to poke the sleeping bear in the eye.
