A group travels overseas. Not a big deal, unless the persons are US congressional representatives, the country they’re visiting is Taiwan, and the totalitarian government of the big country next door regards such visits as a terrible affront.
It probably doesn’t help soothe the Chinese Communist Party’s easily perturbed feelings that the visitors are from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which keeps investigating and reporting on the many very bad things the Chinese government is doing.
The Committee recently called on Volkswagen “to cease its operations in Xinjiang, where the U.S. government has determined that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting an ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.”
According to a Committee press release, since 2013 Volkswagen has been working with SAIC Motor, “a People’s Republic of China state-owned entity, to construct and operate a factory in Xinjiang, the region where the Chinese government is waging genocide against Uyghur Muslims. Recent reporting indicates that the Xinjiang Volkswagen factory employed Uyghur forced laborers.”
The Committee also recently issued a report on how American venture capital “Fuels the PRC Military and Human Rights Abuses.”
During a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (shown above, right), Committee chair Congressman Gallagher (center) told her that American bipartisan support for Taiwan was “stronger and more rock-solid than ever now.”
Maybe. If you don’t count the US president’s reaction to the recent Taiwanese elections and you don’t count the thing about how the United States doesn’t officially admit that Taiwan is a country. (Unofficially, sure. In the privacy of everyone’s own mind, etc.) Associated Press reports (February 23, 2024):
Gallagher thanked Tsai, who is nearing the end of her second and last term in office, for her leadership in Taiwan and for distinguishing herself “as a leader within the free world.”
Tsai thanked the U.S. for continuing to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities.
“Together we are safeguarding freedom and democracy and maintaining regional peace,” she said, adding that she hoped to see more exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan in a range of domains.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposes any form of official exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” she said.
Merriam-Webster defines “inalienable” as “incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred.” Inalienability is not established by wish or fiat. Nor is the history of the past 75 years. But the CCP and its ace diplomat Mao Ning are indifferent to such trivialities as meaning, facts, logic.
On January 13, 2024, the day the Taiwanese determined who would be its next president and legislators, President Biden was asked on the South Lawn of the White House whether he had any comment about the election. His first thought: “We do not support independence.”
