China’s demonstration of military power in front of Taiwan has sparked fierce international criticism. The country goes further and imposes sanctions.
China has imposed unspecified sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. As the Foreign Ministry reported on Friday in Beijing, the punitive measures are also aimed at direct family members of Pelosi.
By traveling to Taiwan against Beijing’s opposition, the top US politician had “seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs.” It has also undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and “severely trampled on the One China” principle.
China is imposing the sanctions in response to Pelosi’s “outrageously provocative behavior,” the State Department spokeswoman said. In response to the visit of the top US politician to the democratic island republic, China had already started large-scale maneuvers that met with sharp criticism internationally.
Blinken makes serious allegations against China
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was the highest-ranking US visit to Taipei in a quarter-century. The communist leadership refuses such official contacts with Taiwan because they claim the island for themselves. Beijing sees self-governing Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and threatens to conquer it. The 23 million Taiwanese, on the other hand, see themselves as independent.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of wanting to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits with the missile tests and military exercises. At a meeting of the Southeast Asian international community Asean in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Blinken said there was no justification for the military provocations after Pelosi’s peaceful visit to Taiwan, as quoted by a Western representative, according to the Bloomberg news agency.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen called the maneuvers and missile exercises “irresponsible”. In a video address, the President urged the Chinese leadership to exercise common sense and restraint. Taiwan will not escalate tensions but wants to maintain the status quo. The President thanked the Group of seven leading democratic economic powers (G7) for their support.
Conflict with the G7
The G7 had expressed concern and stressed that there was no reason to use a visit as a pretext “for aggressive military activities”. In Beijing, ambassadors from EU countries and Japan, as well as EU representatives, were summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where they were handed a formal protest against the G7 statement. Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7.
Further irritations with Beijing are expected from a long-planned visit by the Human Rights Committee of the Bundestag to Taiwan. The trip should take place between October 22nd and 30th and also go to Japan and the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong, as the dpa learned from MPs. MEPs from all six parliamentary groups are expected to take part in the trip.
Source: Stern
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