China News Service, July 30 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) This weekend, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi led an official congressional delegation to visit Asia, and several foreign media disclosed the relevant itinerary.
According to reports, Pelosi's first stop on the trip is Japan, an Asian ally of the United States, and may also visit South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and stop at the headquarters of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii for a while.
This trip to Asia is particularly notable because it was previously reported that Pelosi's itinerary included Taiwan.
However, the idea has been warned domestically and internationally.
As a result, the source revealed that Pelosi's itinerary lists the visit to Taiwan as "to be determined."
[The plan to visit Taiwan has been planned for a long time]
As early as April, Pelosi planned to visit Taiwan, but she was allegedly infected with the new crown virus at the time and failed to proceed as scheduled "due to safety concerns".
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
NBC News revealed that Pelosi also invited some high-level U.S. lawmakers to join the so-called "Taiwan trip."
For example, Gregory Meeks, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCall, a member of the committee, and Democratic Representative Anna Esso.
However, McCall and Essu both rejected Pelosi's invitation on the grounds that they were busy with work and had no time.
McCall reminded Pelosi to pay attention to what the military says if the trip to Taiwan will cause a backlash or escalate the situation.
After the media exposure, Pelosi herself and her spokesman declined to comment on the matter, citing security protocols.
【Pretend to be confused while you understand? 】
The Associated Press noted that any overseas travel by senior U.S. officials would require additional security.
But if Pelosi visits Taiwan, she will need to implement "extraordinary" safety precautions.
An anonymous U.S. official believes that the Pentagon has drawn up contingency measures, such as Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, the U.S. military will increase troop movements in the Indo-Pacific region.
Fighter jets, ships, surveillance gear and other military systems could potentially be used to provide "overlay protection" for her plane and her time in Taiwan.
File photo: USS Ronald Reagan.
The British "Financial Times" disclosed that the USS Ronald Reagan sailed in the South China Sea earlier in July and docked in Singapore on July 22.
The carrier then cancelled a planned visit to Vietnam and re-sailed towards the South China Sea.
Unable to confirm whether this has anything to do with Pelosi's Asia trip.
If Pelosi makes the trip, it will be the first visit to Taiwan by a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997.
You must know that if the United States uses military force to escort the country's No. 3 political figure into Taiwan Island, it is an extremely bad thing, and how dangerous its symbolism is. American politicians cannot pretend to be confused.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation to Asia on Friday, with a trip to Taiwan to be determined.
Image source: Screenshot of the NBC report
Opinions have been split within the White House over Pelosi's itinerary.
Unlike some politicians who advocated the trip and endorsed Pelosi's "showing support for Taiwan is important to us", White House National Security Adviser Sullivan has spoken out against Pelosi's plan.
Earlier last week, US President Biden also said that according to the Pentagon's position, Pelosi's current plan to visit Taiwan is "not a good idea."
["Political performance" was poured cold water]
Not only did Biden and the Pentagon feel that this was inappropriate, but Pelosi was also thrown cold water by the media and foreign dignitaries.
The US "Washington Post" published a rare editorial, urging Pelosi not to visit Taiwan at the moment.
The newspaper noted that political and diplomatic activities, like life, require the right time and place.
"From a realist standpoint, it must be acknowledged that Pelosi's plan is particularly ill-timed in the short term."
File:U.S. Capitol Building.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting
President of the American Asia Society and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also believes that Pelosi should not visit Taiwan now: "At present, the situation in many places around the world is tense, and everyone is exhausted. Why do you need to add more?"
For the purpose of the visit, the BBC asked that Pelosi is 82 years old and is expected to retire in the fall of 2022.
In this case, is she supporting Taiwan with clear intentions, or is it a "political show"?
Why is Pelosi visiting Taiwan?
Many foreign media believe that this is not unrelated to a recent scandal with her husband.
Pelosi's husband, Paul, bought more than $1 million in stock in a semiconductor manufacturing company just weeks before Congress was set to vote on a multibillion-dollar proposal to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
People questioned that Paul started early because of Pelosi's leak.
Although Pelosi denied it, netizens on social media accused her of "lying."
Analysts believe that in order to divert attention, stop people from staring at their own scandals, and create enough eye-catching hot topics for the sluggish Democratic Party before the mid-term elections, Pelosi's trip to Asia must be staged.
Netizens accused her of lying after Pelosi denied revealing the inside story of her stock trading to her husband.
Image source: Screenshot of Fox News report in the United States
On the 29th, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov pointed out to reporters that no country should take inflammatory measures against China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Showing such behavior on the international stage will only cause additional tension."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stated that, hearing that Pelosi may visit Taiwan Province, Russia hopes that on the Taiwan issue, there will be no stimuli and provocations that will intensify the situation in the region.
Lavrov also spoke the truth.
He pointedly pointed out that the United States "also verbally states that it adheres to the 'one China policy' every once in a while," but "in reality, what they do does not always match what they say."
In this regard, the website of the Brookings Institution, a mainstream think tank in the United States, gave a suggestion.
The article said that the more preferable option for the United States is to keep in mind that Taiwan "is not a testing ground for great power competition" and to correctly treat its own role in cross-strait relations.
[Intensive warning from China: Chinese people do what they say]
Recently, China has repeatedly expressed its serious concern and solemn position to the US that it firmly opposes House Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
On July 25 and 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated twice that if the U.S. goes its own way and challenges China’s bottom line, China will take firm and powerful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US is responsible.
On the 26th, Tan Kefei, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, pointed out that if Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it will lead to a series of consequences, such as:
Serious violation of the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques;
Seriously endanger China's sovereignty and territorial integrity;
Seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations;
It will inevitably cause extremely serious damage to the relationship between the two countries and the two militaries, leading to further escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait.
The use of four "serious" words in a paragraph is enough to show the degree of importance China attaches to, its firm attitude and its firm position.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
As for the former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Gingrich's hype that "Pelosi should visit Taiwan", on the 28th, Zhao Lijian pointed out that Gingrich had behaved badly on Taiwan-related issues, and his extremely irresponsible remarks were not worth it. One mention.
This once again proves that some politicians in the US have their own sinister intentions, lest the tension between China and the US will not be tense, the Taiwan Strait will not be turbulent, and the world will not be chaotic.
Using three "fears" in a row, the Chinese side accurately outlines the true colors of American politicians.
Therefore, Zhao Lijian reiterated that if the US insists on going its own way, the Chinese military will never sit idly by and will take strong measures to thwart any attempts by external forces to interfere and "Taiwan independence" to split.
The Chinese do what they say, Zhao Lijian insists.
(Finish)