By Wang Xinjun

One day after the provocative visit of the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to China’s Taiwan region, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has fired missiles targeting designated areas on the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait, and started a series of live-fire drills in six water areas around Taiwan island.

Some African friends ask me why China reacts so strongly to the No.3 U.S. political figure’s visit to Taiwan. Well, they are China’s countermeasures against the provocative act of Nancy Pelosi, which infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they are a stern warning to those die-hard “Taiwan independence” elements in the region.

In 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, which states Taiwan is an integral part of China’s territory, and the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community. It is the premise for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S.

Even President Joe Biden said the Pentagon did not believe the visit to be a sensible one. Then why did the American politician insist on proceeding with such a trip to Taiwan? One, Nancy Pelosi was trying to use the so-called “Taiwan card” to contain Beijing, as she has always done, no matter how much damage it would do to Taiwan’s future. Two, she was desperate for votes for her Democratic Party in the coming U.S. mid-term elections, and the effective way is to play tough with China. Three, she was attempting to amass her political legacy before she has to go from the post.

However, Nancy Pelosi knew how to disguise her trip to Taiwan. She described it as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan. But as said by the Chinese foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, we often hear U.S. politicians say that they are standing together with so and so, but history and facts have repeatedly shown that whomever the U.S. politicians claim they are standing together with would become the targets of chaos and disaster. Just look at Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan, and also look at the people responsible for what Pelosi called “a beautiful sight to behold” in Hong Kong. See what has become of them?

The Taiwan question is a matter of China’s internal affairs and allows no external interference. China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are inviolable, just as any African country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are inviolable.

(Mr. Wang Xinjun is a Chinese journalist and international affairs observer based in Nigeria)