G7 criticism of China ‘unfair’

Pelosi’s Taiwan trip is ‘provocative’, US is the troublemaker, analysts say

“(The G7) should remember that Taiwan is not recognized as a state by the international community, and it is not a member of the UN.”

COLIN MACKERRAS Professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia

The G7 group of industrialized nations should criticize the United States as a troublemaker for allowing its top lawmaker, Nancy Pelosi, to provocatively visit China’s Taiwan region, analysts say.

Instead, the way the Group of Seven responded to the trip — by criticizing China for “provocation” rather than the speaker of the US House of Representatives — was “unfair and unreasonable” in the extreme, said Colin Mackerras, professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia.

“They should remember that Taiwan is not recognized as a state by the international community, and it is not a member of the UN. It is they (the G7), not China, who are provocative,” he said.

Mackerras said what was most alarming is that the US seems to be increasingly turning its back on commitments made to China a long time ago.

US President Joe Biden, “for instance, was the first US president actually to invite a Taiwan representative to his inauguration,” he said. “I think these people should be very careful how they treat China, which will not tolerate being regarded as an inferior forever.”

Munshi Faiz Ahmad, a former chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said the G7 blaming China was very short-sighted, and the real blame should lie with the US for provoking the issue without considering the concerns of China.

Ahmad also said it seems that the US had successfully manipulated the G7 into toeing Washington’s line.

Besides, “Pelosi going to Taiwan at this time is particularly significant and provocative,” he said.

The expert noted that the US pursues a hypocritical policy.

He praised China’s conduct, saying Beijing “has sent an adequate message to the Taiwan authorities and the US that if anybody tries to hurt China’s core interests or to challenge China’s sovereignty, China is not going to keep quiet or tolerating such behavior”.

Salman Bashir, a former Pakistani ambassador to China, said that Pelosi’s visit, which came despite loud and strong opposition from China, has fueled China-US tensions.

According to Bashir, Pelosi’s “values” component of US solidarity with Taiwan with emphasis on self-governance and self-determination will be viewed as encouraging independence for Taiwan and “is contrary to agreements and understandings that have been the bedrock of US-China relations”.

And Pelosi’s remarks during her stay which saw her call Taiwan a “country” go against US promises in agreements and violate China’s sovereignty.

Karori Singh, emeritus fellow and former director of the South Asia Studies Centre at India’s University of Rajasthan, said deviation from the one-China policy is “most unviable and untenable”.

Singh said, “Every country has its sovereign right to conduct military exercise in its own territory.” China has sovereign right to promote its territorial integrity and sovereignty through national reunification and national rejuvenation, he added.

Analysts also noted that the top US lawmaker’s Asia tour should be seen as part of a US policy shift to the containment of China’s growing influence, which can act as a bulwark against US unilateralism while reinforcing multilateralism.

Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies in Pakistan, said the Biden administration has been implementing anti-China moves. “Pelosi visit is part of it and it is aimed at provoking China,” he said.

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan during her Asia tour was the culmination of a continuing shift in US policy which is provocative for China, because it is contrary to the conventional oneChina policy of US, said Singh. “It will have destabilizing effect in Asia.”

According to him, the policy shift is intended to serve the twin objectives of halting a decline in the domestic popularity ratings of the current US administration, while asserting US influence at the global level.

“However, both the objectives seem unattainable through the policy being pursued by US. Rather, Pelosi’s Taiwan visit exacerbated heightened tensions (in regard to) China-US relations (and had) an adverse impact globally,” he said.

The expert believes the US geopolitical policy shift and strategic vision have very little support around the world. “It has rather polarized the world and exacerbated conflicts thereby exhibiting the US hegemo-nic overreach,” Singh said.