memri
July 26, 2022 Special Dispatch No. 10096

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Mouthpiece Commentator Hu Xijin: 'People's Liberation Army Warplane Can "Accompany" Pelosi's Plane If She Visits Taiwan'

July 26, 2022
China | Special Dispatch No. 10096

The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's probable visit to Taiwan sparked numerous reactions among in the Chinese media. Chinese media outlet Global Times commentator Hu Xijin wrote that China should respond to "Washington's provocation" with "resolute countermeasures." Hu suggested that warplanes of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) should "accompany" Pelosi's plane, enter the island at the same time as she does, "skim over" her landing site, and then "fly over the island and return to the Chinese mainland."

He then added: "The Chinese mainland must be brave enough to take this step of flying warplanes over the island, which, unlike warplanes flight around Taiwan, can truly reflect China's sovereignty over the territory, and is more substantial than any visit to Taiwan by senior foreign officials. Using Pelosi's visit to Taiwan to complete this leap is most likely to make it a peaceful transition."

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the U.S. military thinks that Pelosi's Taiwan visit is "not a good idea right now." Commenting on Biden's remarks, Pelosi said: "I think what the President was saying is that maybe the military was afraid of my plane getting shot down or something like that. I don't know exactly."[1]

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also commented Pelosi's likely visit to Taiwan and stated that he wants to join her. He tweeted: "Nancy, I'll go with you. I'm banned in China, but not freedom-loving Taiwan. See you there." In response To Pompeo's comment, Xu Xijin tweeted: "Former Republic top officials are inciting the Biden team to do what they themselves were afraid to do before. They need cannon fodder for the next Republican admin. They want Pelosi to provoke a military crisis with China, and then Democrats will lose everything and go away."[2]

Pelosi's office told the media: "We do not confirm or deny international travel in advance due to long-standing security protocols." Commenting on this statement, Xu Xijin tweeted: "Chinese mainland will not confirm in advance how to counter Pelosi's provocation either. But the U.S. and Taiwan authorities will definitely pay a high price for her visit. This will be ultimately a military game, a good show full of suspense."[3]

Hu Xijin also reasserted on Twitter: "Biden is supposed to have the ability to prevent the reckless visit of Pelosi, rather than 'I don’t know what the status of it is.' If the U.S. can't restrain her, let China restrain her and punish her. PLA Air Force will surely make her visit a disgrace to herself and to the U.S."[4] Furthermore, according to Hu Xijin, the Taiwanese military "would [not] dare to fire on the mainland’s military aircraft, because otherwise, the PLA would return fire ferociously." "Washington and the Taiwan authorities will bear the responsibility of provoking a war in the Taiwan Straits," Hu Xijin said.[5] He also stressed: "If [Pelosi] really dares to visit Taiwan, it will be a major serious incident. She will be the enemy that divides China. She will experience a risky visit. She will also bear historical responsibility for possibly triggering a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait."

"The U.S. and Taiwan should not misjudge that the time before [the autumn] CPC national congress is a window period for them to make aggressive moves. Suppressing arrogant 'Taiwan independence' force and building the authority of one-China principle will be the best gift to CPC national congress," Hu Xijin warned.[6]


Nancy Pelosi (Source: Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Below is Hu Xijin's article:[7]

"The Only Way For China To Respond To Washington's Provocation Is To Use Resolute Countermeasures"

"An exclusive report in the Financial Times on Tuesday quoted multiple sources as saying Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, will visit Taiwan in August amid her trip to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

"If Pelosi, a fellow Democrat with U.S. President Joe Biden, visits Taiwan, no one will believe it is because Biden 'cannot control her.' People are more likely to believe that her visit is part of Washington's tactic of 'good cop/bad cop.'

"As the Speaker of the House, Pelosi is second in the U.S. presidential line of succession according to the U.S. Constitution. Her visit to Taiwan is not only an escalation of U.S. support for 'Taiwan independence,' but a major incident. It was reported in April that Pelosi would make the visit, but the planned trip to Asia was canceled because she tested positive for COVID-19 then.

"It has been proven that the U.S. will not be reasonable on the Taiwan question, and the only way for China to respond to Washington's provocation is to use resolute countermeasures to make it clear the cost of playing the Taiwan card, which is the only language the U.S. understands.

"Although then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997, the travel was seen more as an outward manifestation of the US domestic political bad blood, since Gingrich was a Republican, opposite of then-president Bill Clinton. Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, if takes place, however, would be a blatant challenge to China by the U.S. as a whole."

"[We] Will Clearly Tell The U.S. That They Are Making A Subversive Mistake"

"I believe that China's countermeasures will be overwhelming, and we will not accept this crude advance of U.S. support for 'Taiwan independence,' but will clearly tell the U.S. that they are making a subversive mistake.

"As a media personality who has long been watching the situation in the Taiwan Straits, I suggest that China take firm action this time to make sure that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is scuttled, either she abandons the planned visit out of fear or that her visit becomes a risky trip, leaving both her and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan, who will host her, in a state of panic and with a keen sense of loss.

"When it was reported in April that Pelosi was going to visit Taiwan, I wrote an article advocating that the Chinese mainland should establish a no-fly zone over Taiwan, or the People's Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes should fly over the island. Today, I would like to reiterate the above advocacy."

"The Chinese Mainland Must Be Brave Enough To Take This Step Of Flying Warplanes Over The Island"

"I would further suggest that PLA warplanes could 'accompany' Pelosi's plane at an appropriate distance, enter the island at the same time as she does, skim over her landing site, and then fly over the island and return to the Chinese mainland. There would be low probability of causing a direct military confrontation by doing so, and once PLA warplanes fly in and cross the island, it would be an even more landmark precedent than Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. In that case, we would probably have to thank Pelosi instead for creating the opportunity for PLA warplanes to fly over the island, opening up a whole new space for PLA warplanes to exercise sovereignty over the Taiwan island.

"The Chinese mainland must be brave enough to take this step of flying warplanes over the island, which, unlike warplanes flight around Taiwan, can truly reflect China's sovereignty over the territory, and is more substantial than any visit to Taiwan by senior foreign officials. Using Pelosi's visit to Taiwan to complete this leap is most likely to make it a peaceful transition.

"Of course, in order for PLA warplanes to fly over the island of Taiwan, we must be fully prepared for military confrontation, and I believe such preparations by the PLA have been ongoing. We have no intention of seeing a war break out in the Taiwan Straits now, but we are undoubtedly the party that is least afraid of a war in the Straits breaking out right now. PLA warplanes will sooner or later fly over the island. If the Taiwan military dare to fire at PLA warplanes, the response will be a resolute action of shooting down the Taiwanese warplanes or striking its military bases. If the US and the island of Taiwan want an all-out war, then the time will come to liberate Taiwan. I advise both the US and the island not to have any illusions.

"Let Pelosi and the Biden administration as well as the Taiwan authorities make their choice."

 

[1] Edition.cnn.com/2022/07/25/china/china-us-pelosi-visit-concerns-intl-hnk-mic/index.html, July 25, 2022.

[2] Twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1551444334712848384?cxt=HHwWgIDQteGZ64crAAAA, July 25, 2022.

[3] Twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1550127828792152064?cxt=HHwWgMDU-YPDlIMrAAAA , July 21, 2022.

[4] Twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1549950964136026112?cxt=HHwWgIDRyZOMxIIrAAAA, July 21, 2022

[5] Twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1549760542214340608?cxt=HHwWgIDS2ZHA7YErAAAA, July 20, 2022.

[6] Twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1549368794572681217?cxt=HHwWgsCjqbatu4ArAAAA, July 19, 2022.

[7] Globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1270927.shtml, July 19, 2022.

Share this Report: