After the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the Chinese mainland vigorously countered, launching a series of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, and launched eight sanctions once morest the United States, including canceling the dialogue with the high-level US military.
The United States did not seem to have estimated such a strong reaction from China beforehand. The initial response was somewhat confusing. The US official was relatively low-key, mainly mobilizing allies to make a counteroffensive. However, if you look at the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, it shows that the relationship between the United States and its allies is not strong. Among them, three countries have typical responses:
One, Japan. Japan is a hardliner. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received Pelosi, and Japan claimed that a missile from the continental exercise had fallen into Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japan, together with the G7 countries, issued a statement condemning China, becoming the most prominent Asian country to condemn China.
China fought back hard once morest Japan. First, it canceled the bilateral talks between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fang in Cambodia. When Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng spoke at a relevant ASEAN meeting on August 5, the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers also left the meeting to protest . It fully shows China’s dissatisfaction with Japan.
After Japan’s Kishida government came on stage, its attitude toward China was lukewarm, and Sino-Japanese relations may deteriorate in the future.
Second, South Korea. South Korea’s attitude is just the opposite of Japan’s, and it treats Pelosi coldly. When Pelosi’s special plane arrived in South Korea, the South Korean government did not send officials to greet it. It is said that Pelosi was very dissatisfied with this. When she arrived at the hotel, she did not pass the main entrance where reporters were waiting, and entered the hotel through the other way, and did not respond to reporters’ questions.
And South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue, who was in Seoul, claimed to be on vacation, refused to meet with Pelosi, and did not send people from the presidential palace to meet with Pelosi. Later, it was suspected that under repeated pressure from the United States, Yin Xiyue was willing to speak with Pelosi on the phone. This scene is very funny. Yin Xiyue and Pelosi are in Seoul, but they just don’t meet. Yin Xiyue is willing to confront the big bad in the United States, and does not want to offend China. It is estimated that one of the reasons is that his popularity has been quite low, and his support has dropped to 28%. I am afraid that he cannot withstand another wave of Sino-Korea relations.
Since Yin Xiyue’s cold attitude towards Pelosi was quite obvious, the friendly relations between China and South Korea immediately warmed up. Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin to visit Qingdao.
In 2017, South Korea had a bad relationship with China because of the installation of the US THAAD missile defense system, and the mainland set off a boycott of South Korean entertainment. This time the relationship between China and South Korea has improved. I wonder if China will open up Korean entertainment to the mainland market.
Three, Australia. Australia’s attitude is more flimsy. After the new Australian government came to power, it changed the anti-China attitude of the previous Morrison government, but immediately encountered the typhoon storm. Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian initially followed the US policy. On August 5, Australia issued a joint statement with the US and Japan, expressing concern over the PLA’s military exercises and condemning the Chinese missiles falling into the so-called exclusive economic zone of Japan.
The Chinese Embassy in Australia vigorously rebutted on August 6, expressing strong protest and severe condemnation. It is pointed out that Pelosi visited Taiwan, the United States is the perpetrator, and China is the victim, while Australia favors the perpetrator and targets the victim. Hope Australia will respect the facts and uphold justice.
After the strong bombardment by the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Huang Yingxian’s attitude seemed to shrink. When she met with reporters on August 8, she refused to comment on Australia-China relations, only saying: “The most important thing at present is that the tension between the two sides of the strait must be Cool down and calm down.”
Australia is like a cyclist, hoping not to offend China and the United States. Under the confrontation between China and the United States, the whole of Asia has become quite divided, and countries are forced to choose sides.
In general, the US team is serious, and its “Five Eyes” alliance has lost New Zealand, because New Zealand has expressed its support for the one-China principle. In addition, the US-Japan-India-Australia “Quartet Security Dialogue”, India did not participate in issuing a statement condemning China. America’s most iron ally for the time being is Japan.
The United States has created one framework following another in the Asia-Pacific region and created one organization following another. When it encounters a major event, it seems that it is all in vain.
Lu Yongxiong
