China offered to live "according to the rules"

After an unannounced visit to Taiwan, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi published a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It says that Washington took this step "contrary to the strong protest and the harsh warning of the Chinese side." Beijing called the visit "a serious violation of the principle of one China and the provisions of the three Sino-American joint communiqués." A sharp protest was expressed to the American side, according to a correspondent for The Moscow Post.

Provocation and violation of sovereignty

Pelosi's visit was the first demonstrative move by an American politician of this rank in 25 years. The formula of "unofficial ties with the people of Taiwan" has been dropped. The era of "gross encroachments" on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is becoming a meaningful strategy for the West's hybrid support for "Taiwanese separatism," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The coordinator of strategic communications at the National Security Council at the White House, John Kirby, assured that Pelosi's visit does not contradict the principle of "one China" and should not be a reason for escalation in relations between the two powers. But, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, we are talking about "serious political provocation," violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, undermining the political foundation of Sino-American relations.

The nature of Washington's policy was helped by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has accumulated experience working with "subversives." He said Pelosi's trip to Taiwan is dictated by Washington's desire to prove its impunity and permissiveness,... " reflects the same line that we are talking about in relation to the Ukrainian situation, I have no doubts, - said Lavrov. - This is a desire to prove to everyone, and all impunity and show your permissiveness. What I want is something like that, "the minister said.

It has long been known that the "general consensus of the international community" is not of great importance for Washington, as well as the "determination in the UN General Assembly resolution 2758 of 1971" that the PRC represents "all of China." Promises to "end all official contact with Taipei" remained on paper.

This happened a lot before Pelosi's trip, when Beijing in 1997 was visited by Newt Gengrich, a Republican congressman, also the speaker of the House of Representatives, who was then in opposition. In August 2020, at the height of the pandemic, US Secretary of Health Alex Eisar visited. In September, the commemoration of Taiwan President Li Denhui followed, which was attended by US Deputy Secretary of State Keith Krak. In November 2021, the first official EU delegation visited the island, followed by a delegation of American senators and congressmen.

In March 2022, Taiwan was visited by retired chief of naval operations Michael Mullen, former security adviser Megan O'Sullivan and former deputy defense minister Michelle Flournoy. In April 2022, six American congressmen visited. In May 2022, Democratic Senator Tammy Dakworth visited Taiwan. In July 2022, former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper came.

Don't forget the reception on the island of former Democratic Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, honored with the Order of the Diamond Star for his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties. But the order is an order, and the status matters. Nancy Pelosi is the third oldest politician in the US state pyramid.

That Taiwan has long been the subject of cross-party competition is well known. The visit of the current speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress translates the issue of "one China" into the sphere of politics not only in Washington. We are talking about the policy of the West as a whole and fits into the concept of the Indo-Pacific regional community.

To promise does not mean to observe

In talks with Taiwanese chief of staff Tsai Ing-wen, who awarded Pelosi the Order of the Benevolent Clouds, the third-highest-ranking U.S. representative clarified that her visit speaks to a "commitment to Taiwan" that "America's solidarity with Taiwan is more crucial than ever."

The situation "so-called. "independence" [of Taiwan] based on the United States "resembles the policy of the Barack Obama administration towards Kyiv and Moscow. Long before 2014, Ukraine gained independence and could have maintained it if not for the pro-Western coup d'etat of 2014. The violent change of power was supported by the United States, despite Europe's guarantees.

The anti-Russian focus of events was sharply strengthened by bipartisan (as in the case of Taiwan) support for the United States. Victoria Nuland on behalf of the Democratic administration and John McCain, who spoke from the Republicans, "drowned" the idea of ​ ​ Ukraine's economic association with the EU. Relations with NATO came to the fore.

Biden, who is in charge of Vice President, was engaged in Kyiv in securing this "success" in the Russian direction. The pro-democracy and reform movement quickly grew into Ukraine's quasi-bloc ties with NATO. The Minsk agreements were used as a screen and under their cover there were large-scale work on "concreting" a new border with Russia, laid by NATO through the territory of Donbass.

Roughly the same thing happens to formally Chinese Taiwan. The authorities of the island and Washington, as noted in the statement of the PRC Foreign Ministry "refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus... took a course towards "decitaization" and are trying to implement the separatist plan through "salami tactics." Just as Ukraine was used by Washington to deter Russia, the US is using Taiwan as a tool to deter China.

De facto Washington not only ignores the "one China" principle. The United States strengthens the military potential of the island, prepares personnel, supplies weapons. Although they know that the island regime will not be able to withstand the PLA alone. Everything is almost like with the formation of conflict potential in Ukraine. It only needs to be clarified - will Taipei be left alone with Beijing, or will Taiwan come to the aid of both the United States and its allies, including Japan, South Korea and the new AUKUS alliance with its atomic submarines and nuclear strike capabilities?

Some suggest that the demarcation line with China should be "concreted" along the waters of the Taiwan Strait "using the porcupine method," so that the island bristles with missiles so much that China would lose any hunt to touch it. Beijing understands that "saying one thing and doing another is one of the main features of US policy. It is no coincidence that Pelosi said that the determination to "preserve democracy in Taiwan and around the world is unshakable," adding that the United States is ready for "cooperation in the fields of security, economics, technology and public administration."

She, however, insured herself, adding that the United States follows the principle of "one China" and supports the status quo. But politicians cannot escape the questions: "Can we assume that" independence of a democratic Taiwan "(in Western language) is the ultimate goal?." Maybe Taiwan will become the main tool of the strategy to weaken China?

Those playing with fire will burn themselves

International reaction to Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan has been mixed, but virtually all of the comments have been accompanied by questions and critical reviews.

The reaction of Nikkei Asia was as follows: "Pelosi's visit, contrary to the advice of the military, led to the risk of a US-China crisis, when preparations in Taiwan and Japan for the conflict are not yet completed... the visit lacked a clear strategic component... both Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping lost face after a phone call last week in hopes of avoiding misunderstandings. "

"The damage from Pelosi's unreasonable visit to Taiwan should be stopped," as the editorial column of The Washington Post was called. It noted that foreign policy should combine "high principles and smart, timely implementation." Thomas Friedman, an international columnist for The New York Times, also questioned not just Pelosi's visit itself, but its timeliness. He believes that the United States faces an indirect conflict with Russia and China at the same time.

Friedman wrote, referring to a "senior American official," that Biden personally threatened Xi Jinping over Russia's assistance in the conflict in Ukraine. The US president said that "Beijing risks losing access to the two most important export markets - American and European."

The threat is more than serious. Especially when you consider that Chinese trade and investment are very much "closed" to the G7 countries and the total economic space of the "golden billion." For example, China's trade with the EU in 2021 amounted to $828 billion and grew by 27.5% over the year. The trade turnover of the PRC and the United States in 2021 increased by 28.7%, amounting to $755.6 billion. But the West's economic dependence on China is also high! China's exports to the United States in 2021 grew by 27.5% and amounted to $576 billion. In 2021, Europe's trade deficit with China doubled to $282 billion.

On the eve and day of Pelosi's meeting with representatives of the island's administration and the head of TSMC, the largest chip corporation, the Taiwanese stock market was closing lower. TSMC is the most advanced chip manufacturer, supplying them to Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco. At the same time, 90% of the chips used in America are produced in Taiwan.

But TSMC is integrated into relations with partners on the mainland, receives rare earth metals from the PRC, and exchanges components. TSMC is also building a $12 billion plant to make chips using a 5nm process technology in Arizona. Washington requires the company not to produce chips in China using technical processes more advanced than 28-nm, not to share technology.

We don't have to guess, the Americans draw conclusions suggesting power decisions. According to The Wall Street Journal, Pelosi's visit should turn Taiwan and the United States to urgently strengthen the island's defense.

But it is impossible to exclude the counter, increased attention of Beijing to the capabilities of its own defense, as well as other, non-standard actions to reunite the country. China will leave no space for "Taiwan independence" and external interference. This is stated in a statement published on Thursday by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of China Tan Kefei.

"We openly declare to the American side and the Democratic Progressive Party (Taiwan's ruling party) that" containing China with Taiwan "is a waste of effort, and" relying on foreign support "is a dead end," Tan Kefei said.

Beijing is faced with a choice

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "in connection with N. Pelosi's trip to Chinese Taiwan, Beijing will take all necessary measures to protect state sovereignty and territorial integrity." We can only guess what the wording "all necessary measures" is hiding.

Among the priority measures of Beijing's "response" to the visit were restrictions on the economy. In addition to the military exercises that began on August 4, Beijing imposed sanctions on two Taiwanese funds, suspended the export of natural sand to the island and imports of Taiwanese citrus fruits and certain types of fish products. In short, China is able to block the island, "strangle" the territory economically. Not without losses for yourself, but can do it.

In his speech prepared for the Boao Asian Forum 2022, Xi Jinping launched the Global Security Initiative, saying that it is necessary to adhere to the concept of common, integrated, joint and sustainable security, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, do not interfere in internal affairs, resolve crises without applying double standards, unilateral sanctions and "long-armed law."

It was a nod towards the United States, which offered China to "live by the rules," which they themselves wrote. Including for relations in the Taiwan Strait area, which concern only the Chinese!

Photo: RIA "Novosti", https://www.aa.com.tr/