As Nancy Pelosi’s controversial Taiwan visit threatens to spark military tensions in East Asia, protests were held against the US congresswoman’s visit by anti-war activists and leaders of the city’s Chinese community in her hometown, San Francisco.
Prior to the visit, approximately 100 people gathered outside Pelosi’s office at the San Francisco Federal Building to urge her to cancel the stop on her Asia trip, which they claimed would unnecessarily inflame a “potential war” with China.
Demonstrators holding signs reading “US hands off Taiwan,” “Stop the Provocations,” and “No War on China” urged Pelosi to cancel the trip to Taiwan. They instead asked her to “focus on the real challenges of inflation, climate change, and economic distress confronting the American people.”
However, the pressure from American protesters appeared to have little effect on Pelosi’s decision, as did US President Joe Biden’s statement during which he cautioned that the stopover is “not a good idea.” China has repeatedly warned that if Pelosi goes ahead with the trip, it will respond with “forceful measures.”
In the same context, Taiwan witnessed rallies and protests organized by pro-China activists against the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who arrived on Tuesday in Taipei.
The demonstrators carried banners reading “One China” and “The United States, hands off Taiwan,” with protesters chanting that “China is not an enemy of Taiwan.”
A major banner held by a number of protesters read: “War speaker Pelosi get out of Taipei.”
Commenting on the unannounced visit of Pelosi to Taiwan, Chinese FM Wang Yi affirmed that “Taiwan is a part of China. The implementation of national reunification is a general trend and historic imminence.”
The FM went on to stress that “We will leave no space for external interference and to forces supporting Taiwan’s independence.”
Furthermore, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command has declared its intention to conduct exercises in six areas around Taiwan from August 4 to 7.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
