Chinese netizens have advised US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit a doctor rather than the island of Taiwan now that she has tested positive for COVID-19, urging US politicians to mind their own business and stop colluding with Taiwan secessionists.
The hashtag asking Pelosi to seek treatment ranked high on the social media platform Sina Weibo until Friday after her spokesperson announced on Thursday night Pelosi has tested positive and is currently asymptomatic.
Pelosi has postponed a trip to Asia scheduled later this week including a reported planned visit to the island of Taiwan, citing the positive test. The Taiwan visit was reported by some Taiwan media outlets and Japan’s Fuji News Network but not confirmed by the US or the DPP authorities on the island.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian at Friday’s press briefing expressed condolences to Pelosi and wished her a quick recovery after the news that the House speaker tested positive for COVID-19. But he stressed that what Pelosi should do is “not to postpone a visit, but cancel it immediately.”
China has made its stance clear over the reported visit by Pelosi to the island of Taiwan on several occasions and lodged stern representations to the US, Zhao said.
After media reports of Pelosi’s Taiwan visit emerged, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday “China would respond with resolute and forceful measures, and all ensuing consequences would be borne solely by the US” if the visit does take place.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized during a phone conversation with French President’s Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne that the reported visit “openly tramples on the red line of the one-China principle.” If Pelosi deliberately visits Taiwan, it would be a malicious provocation against China’s sovereignty and gross interference in China’s internal affairs, and would send an extremely dangerous political signal to the world, Wang said.
The Chinese Embassy in the US released a statement saying, “In the past few days, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang and the Chinese Embassy in the US have lodged stern representations with the US Congress and government, and stated China’s solemn position, urging the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three Sino-US Joint Communiqués, and to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s plan to visit Taiwan.”
Chinese experts have said if Pelosi visits the island, the consequences would be much more serious than Newt Gingrich’s visit to Taiwan in 1997.
The development received high attention on social media, with netizens urging Pelosi to abandon any dangerous plans. “Get well soon, but forget about a Taiwan visit. You won’t want to see the consequences,” said a Weibo user.
”She not only needs to overcome COVID, but should also seek treatment for the “messing up the world” disease. To be honest, many US politicians should see a doctor for that,” another net user posted on Sina Weibo.
“Since the US has removed most epidemic restrictions, I bet Omicron is nothing to worry about. The biggest problem is hegemonic mentality embedded in her, and many others’ minds,” said another.
Secessionist media expressed disappointment over the “cancelation” of the reported visit, but some Taiwan-based netizens posted on Facebook saying the island was actually saved from being used by the US to provoke the mainland.
Glad she won’t come to ask for more money, said a Taiwan netizen.
Some observers also speculated Pelosi’s visit to the Taiwan island was an information tactic to test mainland’s bottom line.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Xinhua
