On August 9, the Daily Star published an op-ed by Ambassador Li Jiming titled "Six Fallacies of the US on Nancy Pelosi’s Visit to China’s Taiwan". The full text of the article is as follows:

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi recently made a provocative visit to China's Taiwan region in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations. The visit is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond. However, instead of correcting its mistakes, the US continues to spread disinformation and falsehoods, which just exposes at least six of its fallacies that are bound to face the judgment and punishment of the international community and history.  

First, disregarding China’s opposition while threatening China

In disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, the US insisted on letting Pelosi visit China’s Taiwan region. Pelosi is the incumbent Speaker of the US House of Representatives and ranks second in the US presidential line of succession. Her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form, under what ever pretext and at whatever time during her tenure, would be a serious violation of the one-China policy as committed by the US government.

The typical US playbook is to create a problem first, and then use that problem to achieve its own objective. But in front of China, this just won't work. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said already: the US should not act recklessly or manufacture an even bigger crisis. 

After Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the reported US expansion of military deployment in the region came out. The Chinese people will not be scared by evils, intimidated by pressure, nor misled by fallacies. In the minds of the Chinese people, nothing is more sacred than protecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and nothing is more important than safeguarding national unity and realizing national reunification. No country, no forces and no individual should ever underestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese government and people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

Second, changing Taiwan's status quo by provoking crises

Regarding the US allegation that China is changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, the status quo has indeed been broken. Somehow the saboteurs are not China, but the US and the separatist forces in Taiwan. It is the US side that insists on having Speaker Pelosi visit Taiwan, which causes continuous escalation of tension. The current situation is created purely by the US side. Given the circumstances, pressuring China to exercise restraint is a flagrant act of hegemony, bullying and coercion. 

At present any tension emerging across the Taiwan Strait is caused single-handedly by the US. Fundamentally, it is because Speaker Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan out of selfish interest and serious violated the one-China principle. Had Pelosi not made that provocative visit to Taiwan, China would not be dealing with this. Therefore, it is the US who is changing the status quo across the Taiwan Straits. The US government should revisit and take a serious look at the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, so that they will have a clear understanding of what the status quo really is and who is really changing the status quo. 

Third, telling lies regardless the international voice

The US said they have a bigger support than China on Taiwan question and China should be blamed by the international community. Facts speak louder than words. Over the past few days, many countries have voiced support for China over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Over 170 countries have spoken up for justice, condemned the visit as a serious, reckless and irresponsible provocation and expressed their commitment to the one-China principle and support China.

For example, just in the neighboring region, leaders or Foreign Ministries or political parties from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia, Maldive, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, the UAE, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, etc. reiterated firm commitment to the one-China principle. For a larger picture, UN Secretary-General António Guterres explicitly stressed that the UN remains committed to the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, etc.  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh released a statement reiterating its firm adherence to‘One China’ policy on 4th August. When held talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on August 7, H.E. Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen expressed that Bangladesh firmly adheres to the one-China policy, believes that Taiwan is part of China, and supports the Chinese side in safeguarding its core interests and major concerns. Bangladesh advocates multilateralism, adheres to the five principles of peaceful coexistence, and holds that the purposes and principles and the UN Charter must be upheld, and the UN General Assembly resolutions must be implemented. The separatism must be effectively forestalled; otherwise, it will be a catastrophe for the whole world. Worker Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samaitantrik Dal-JASOD and Communist Party of Bangladesh (M-L) also issued statement on supporting China’s position. These are the unified voices of justice of the international community, which show that the one-China principle is a universal consensus and only just cause can receive the support of many around the world.   

Fourth, saying one thing but doing the opposite

The US claims it shows immense self-restraint on Taiwan question. However, for quite some time, the US has said one thing but done the opposite, constantly distorted, altered, obscured and hollowed out the one-China principle, and played the "Taiwan card" by hook or by crook. 

The US even went further to sneakily delete such key expressions as "Taiwan is a part of China" from its State Department website, put Taiwan in its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy", blatantly upgrade its ties with Taiwan, increase arms sales to the Taiwan region, openly clamor for helping Taiwan improve "asymmetric military capability" and support separatist activities for "Taiwan independence".

Fifth, carrying out military operations while blaming China

Over the past decades, the US and the US-led NATO countries have selectively applied international law. They made up various pretexts such as so-called possession of weapons of mass destruction to picture other countries as threats --- and sometimes even without any valid reason --- to blatantly launch military strikes and even unleash wars on sovereign countries. How many humanitarian tragedies have they created in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan? How many innocent civilians have been wounded and killed? How many families have been torn apart and lost? 

On the contrary, China never actively starts a single war since its foundation. China’s measures are about staunchly safeguarding regional peace and stability and international law and basic norms in international relations. We are living in the 21st century. The world must never allow the US to see itself as a “world policeman” or an “international judge” and continue to treat other sovereign nations like George Floyd as if the US can just bully and strangle them at will. 

Sixth, confusing the Taiwan question with Ukraine issue

The US provoked the Ukraine issue already and makes the world into a mess. Instead of taking lessons from it, the US tries to make some connection between the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue, adding more instability to this world.  

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair. Anyone underscoring the principle of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity should apply this principle to the Taiwan question rather than practise any double standard. We cannot accept urging respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the one hand, and trampling on China’s red line on Taiwan and hurting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the other. 

Just as State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated during his visit to Bangladesh several days ago, that if the US wants to solve problems, it must take concrete actions to strictly observe the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués.

Bangladesh has always been a reliable strategic and cooperative partner of China. China values its friendship with Bangladesh and places importance on developing our bilateral relations. Bangladesh has a longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and does not support “Taiwan independence”. China appreciates Bangladesh's immediate support for its legitimate propositions on Taiwan question. The countermeasures China has taken is completely for the sake of defending its sovereignty , security and development interests.

China is ready to work with the vast developing countries to jointly safeguard respective national sovereignty and territorial integrity, jointly uphold the basic norm governing international relations of non-interference in other country's internal affairs, jointly maintain global and regional peace and stability, jointly oppose and contain any activity to split a country, and jointly strive for a favorable external environment for focusing on seeking development.