Taiwan: Nancy Pelosi Leads Free World Against Dictatorship
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Taiwan - Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, landed in Taiwan for a historic yet controversial visit, offering "unwavering commitment" to its democracy in the midst of escalating tensions with China. After multiple warnings of retaliation in the event of such a visit, China's Ministry of Defense announced that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was on high alert. Targeted military operations including missile tests in the waters east of Taiwan and drills encircling the main island for four days after Pelosi leaves have been scheduled.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and strongly opposes what has been called "separatist moves" toward Taiwan's independence, while Taiwan maintains that it is a sovereign state and has never been a part of the PRC. While Pelosi's is the latest of a long list of official foreign visits to Taiwan, it has resulted in the US being accused of "reckless disregard" and held to account for hurting China's sovereignty and security interests by interfering as an external force. In order to avoid a military confrontation with the US, a Chinese military attack is unlikely, but economic punitive action has already been taken through the sudden ban on imports from over 100 Taiwanese food companies announced on the day of Pelosi's visit.
Although Pelosi's visit to the democratically-ruled island was never officially announced, rumors about it launched a geopolitical storm in the context of already-escalating tensions. While the visit was in itself consistent with US policy regarding Taiwan and maintaining calm in the Taiwan Strait, Pelosi herself has never hidden her views when it comes to China's undemocratic treatment of dissidents and political prisoners. Today, the Chinese government is also under worldwide scrutiny for its treatment of Tibet, Hongkong and ethnic Uyghurs among other oppressed groups, with its actions being compared to genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Pelosi's visit and China's reaction introduce a historic turning point: the free world will disinvest from and will sanction step-by-step, oppressive regimes whose economy will decline like in Russia. The chairman of Cinema for Peace Jaka Bizilj: "Taiwan, Hongkong, and Ukraine are the new Berlin Wall - the borderline to freedom which needs to be defended in order to not repeat history like when Adolf Hitler took Austria and nobody opposed. Chamberlain's appeasement and deals like Stalin's Hitler pact made Hitler believe he can conquer the world - and win even a world war. Dictators need to be sanctioned, stopped, and fought the moment they set only one foot on foreign soil."