Written by | Dong Xin Li Yan
On August 5, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that China has decided to impose sanctions against U.S. House speaker Pelosi and his immediate family members in accordance with the relevant laws of the People's Republic of China.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced eight countermeasures against Pelosi's channeling.
Before Pelosi crossed the stage, the Chinese side had made the greatest diplomatic efforts, repeatedly warned the US side through various channels, and all parties in the international community have also issued early warnings.
Unfortunately, the US side turned a deaf ear to this and insisted on going its own way.
Late on the night of August 2, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, when ordered to urgently summon U.S. Ambassador to China Burns, pointed out that the United States must pay the price for its mistakes. China will take the necessary measures to resolutely counter it, and we will do what we say.
On August 5, the Chinese side issued two consecutive statements against Pelosi's channeling, and three special points are worthy of attention.
The highest-ranking current U.S. official to be sanctioned
First, Pelosi became the highest-ranking incumbent U.S. official named and sanctioned by the Chinese side.
In the order of succession of the president of the United States, the speaker of the House of Representatives is the second in line to the throne after the vice president of the United States, and the third most influential political figure in the American political arena.
Pelosi, 82, is the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives in U.S. history and has been elected to the position four times, and since January 2019, she has served as speaker of the 116th House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress, becoming the oldest Speaker of the House of Representatives in U.S. history.
In the past two years, China has imposed sanctions on US personnel who have behaved badly on Hong Kong-related, Taiwan-related, Xinjiang-related, Tibet-related and other issues. Among them are members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and officials during the Trump administration.
- On July 13, 2020, China decided to impose corresponding sanctions on the US Congressional-Executive Branch China Committee, as well as the U.S. Department of State's Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Senators Rubio and Cruz, and U.S. Rep. Smith.
- In the early morning of January 21, 2021, during the inauguration of President Biden, the Chinese side decided to impose sanctions on 28 people who have seriously violated China's sovereignty and bear primary responsibility for China-related issues, including Pompeo, Navarro, O'Brien, Starvey, Pottinger, Aza, Kratch, Kraft, Bolton and Bannon in the Trump administration.
Apparently, Pelosi's position is higher than theirs.
What's more, she is also the number one "anti-China politician" in the United States, and she has long taken a tough attitude toward China, admitting that "for more than 30 years, I have been considered the most unpopular person [in China]." ”
This time, Pelosi even ignored China's serious concerns and resolute opposition to insisting on sneaking into Taiwan, and is the first speaker of the US House of Representatives and the highest-ranking US official to visit the island in 25 years.
This move seriously interferes in China's internal affairs, seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and seriously threatens peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Pelosi's immediate family was also sanctioned
Second, the scope of the sanctions includes Pelosi's immediate family.
Mainland law does not clearly define immediate family members and generally refers to people who are directly related by blood or marriage. According to Article 1045 of the Civil Code, relatives include spouses, blood relatives and in-laws.
The Pelosi family can be described as a typical representative of "eating Chinese rice and smashing Chinese pots".
According to the Ta Kung Pao, her husband and son used funds to invest in assets Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and asia, and frantically pan for gold.
△ Pelosi and his wife
Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, founded Minji Global Investments.
Mingji Global Investments is currently run by Pelosi's friend William Hambrecht, the owner of the millions of dollars who donated millions of dollars to the Democratic Party of the United States.
The Ta Kung Pao pointed out that half of the "Asia Dividend Fund" under Mingji Global Investment (Hong Kong) is a Chinese enterprise, and one of the three major investments of the "Pacific Tiger Fund" is TSMC. While on the platform, Pelosi also met with the chairman of TSMC.
Pelosi's return of interest as of June 30 this year shows that although she does not hold a partnership interest in Mingji International Asia Investments in 2021, she still holds $50,001 to $100,000 in The Mingji International Mutual Fund, and her dividend income has increased to $201 to $1,000.
Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not announced specific countermeasures against Pelosi himself and his immediate family, the basis can be found in the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law.
Article 3 of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law points out that the People's Republic of China opposes hegemonism and power politics, and opposes any country interfering in China's internal affairs under any pretext or in any way.
Where a foreign country violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, uses various pretexts or in accordance with its own laws to contain or suppress the mainland, adopts discriminatory restrictive measures against mainland citizens and organizations, and interferes in the mainland's internal affairs, the mainland has the right to take corresponding countermeasures.
Article 6 points out that the relevant departments of the State Council may, in accordance with their respective duties and division of tasks, decide to adopt one or more of the following measures on the basis of actual conditions:
(1) Not issuing visas, not allowing entry, canceling visas or deporting;
(2) sealing, seizing or freezing movable, immovable and other types of property within the territory of the Mainland;
(3) Prohibiting or restricting organizations or individuals within the territory of the mainland from conducting relevant transactions, cooperation, and other such activities with them;
(4) Other necessary measures.
All-round countermeasures
Third, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced eight countermeasures against Pelosi's channeling of Taiwan, each of which is aimed at the "US side" and not just Pelosi herself.
I. Cancel the arrangement for the leaders of the Sino-US military theaters to call.
2. Cancel the Sino-US Ministry of National Defense work meeting.
3. Cancel the meeting of the Sino-US Maritime Military Security Consultation Mechanism.
4. Suspend Cooperation between China and the United States in the Repatriation of Illegal Immigrants.
V. Suspend Sino-US cooperation in criminal justice assistance.
Suspend Sino-US cooperation in combating transnational crimes.
VII. Suspend Sino-US anti-narcotics cooperation.
Suspend Sino-US climate change talks.
As for Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the Biden administration has repeatedly used the "separation of powers" of the United States as an excuse.
The White House says the president can't control the president of congress; The US State Department said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is an act of personal action, does not represent the government's position, and does not reflect the US national policy toward China.
But in fact, the US Congress is an integral part of the US Government and should strictly abide by the one-China policy pursued by the US.
Military expert Song Zhongping told Zhengzhijian (WeChat ID: bqzhengzhiju) that the above eight sanctions show that the impact of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is all-round.
The three "cancellation" countermeasures are all aimed at the military aspect.
Song Zhongping pointed out that the abolition of this system of dialogue mechanisms at the level of the Ministry of National Defense, the theater level, and maritime security communication shows that the military mutual trust between China and the United States is completely gone, and the relationship between the Two Militaries of China and the United States has fallen to the bottom. The various channels of military-related exchanges that have been cancelled are an important part of Sino-US military exchanges. In the case of these channels being canceled, it is equivalent to the United States pushing up the risk of friction between the Two Militaries of China and the United States.
The responsibility for this situation lies entirely with the United States.
Since the United States is bent on going its own way and constantly provoking China on the Taiwan issue, the cornerstone of sino-US relations development is missing, and this cornerstone is the one-China principle, which the United States has completely shaken and hollowed out. The consequences and costs must also be borne.
"China's ability to carry out such countermeasures shows on the one hand its determination to safeguard national sovereignty and security, and on the other hand, it can also be seen that the PLA has the ability and confidence to deal with various risks." Song Zhongping said.
△ On June 10, 2022, State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who was attending the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, held talks with US Defense Secretary Austin, who was also attending the meeting
The countermeasures to the five "moratoriums" involve broader U.S.-China cooperation.
Political knowledge (WeChat ID: bqzhengzhiju) focuses on two aspects.
The first is anti-drug.
On May 1, 2019, the Chinese government took the lead in formally listing fentanyl-like substances in the world, when there has been no large-scale abuse in China and the actual harm is not prominent.
Since then, China's National Narcotics Control Commission and the Ministry of Public Security have maintained close, frank and in-depth cooperation with the White House Anti-Drug Policy Office, the International Drug Enforcement Bureau of the State Council, the Anti-Narcotics Administration and other partners.
According to the latest report of the US drug law enforcement department, since September 2019, the US side has not seized fentanyl-like substances from China.
The US side has stressed many times that Sino-US anti-drug cooperation is the highlight of law enforcement cooperation between the two countries.
In this cooperation, the Chinese side has shown great goodwill and sincerity, and has also made great efforts and sacrifices.
The US side must not thank China for its support and help on the one hand, and at the same time set up obstacles to cooperation.
The second is gas change.
In communication at all levels, including the head of state's call, climate change is always an important area when it comes to cooperation.
In April 2021, at the invitation of the Chinese side, the US President's special envoy for climate issues, John Kerry, visited China, becoming the first senior US official to visit China since the Biden administration took office. Since then, he has met with Chinese officials many times.
In an interview, Mr. Kerry said he hoped China would be more aggressive in cutting greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, claiming it was a "critical decade" to curb global warming and that "many different ways to achieve this need to be considered."
However, Sino-US cooperation in climate change cannot be separated from the general environment of Sino-US relations. The US side hopes that gas change cooperation will become an "oasis" in Sino-US relations, and if the "oasis" is surrounded by "deserts", the "oasis" will be desertified sooner or later.
Information | Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, etc
Proofreading | Ge Dongchun
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