On Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, despite the repeated warning of China, has undoubtedly and gravely hurt fundamental principles underlying US-China relations. It is also considered to violate the “One China” policy, which the US has committed to adhere to, since the restoration of China’s rightful place in the United Nations and the establishment of US-China diplomatic relations, including the basic tenets of three USChina joint communique signed between them.
The visit has indeed ignited a very fiery situation unnecessarily provoking China to take unprecedented actions, like live-fire exercises and joint military drills, involving dozens of fighter jets and warships at six zones in and around the strait of Taiwan, which is set to continue for about four more days till August 7 as per China‘s announcement. PLA also announced on Thursday that it would perform long-range artillery strikes and ballistic missile launches to target areas around Taiwan in the coming days. It is clear that China, through these actions, is conveying an open, straightforward and clear message that Taiwan is an integral part of China and comes under its internal affairs; and any outside interference to the contrary will not be condoned and tolerated at any cost.
Talking about Taiwan's unification with its motherland, it can also be said that the world has had occasions to witness China’s policy of peaceful overtures all these years and the restraints with which China has moved towards this, despite many outside provocations. As a corollary, one would to persuaded to believe that China’s present action of war-borne military exercises and surveillance around the strait of Taiwan are not abrupt but the sole result of Nancy’s provocative visit to Taiwan, which, by all means, is China’s inalienable part of its sovereign territory. The US bonhomie with Taiwan made in the name of democracy has been labelled by China as an act of instigating Taiwanese separatist forces.
The prevailing situation in the aftermath of Pelosi’s Taiwan visit is, quite ostensibly, flaring up to an unexpected level, both in nature and scale, due to the provocative meddling of the US with the sovereign rights of China which may lead to precipitate to even obliviate the very existence of Taiwan’s present status. It can however be expected that conscientious efforts on the part of major actors involved in Taiwan’s doldrums could result in a legitimate solution of a peaceful nature for the benefit of the peoples of the region and the world as a whole.
As for Nepal, with China as close and intimate friend, bound by sociocultural affinities from time immemorial, and the perception that Nepal views China as a benign neighbour and a world power on the rise at its door-step, Nepal’s consistent adherence to ‘one China’ policy has no reason to change its course on account of the present circumstantial development as China, in addition to all other positive factors, is Nepal’s irreplaceable benevolent neighbour.