Pelosi’s Taiwan trip is a new headache for Biden, increases tension with China

PUBLISHED TUE, AUG 2 2022 4:22 AM
By Christina Wilkie

- The Biden White House has tried for weeks to convince Beijing and the world that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan says nothing about U.S. policy toward China or Taiwan.

- Yet experts say that effort misses the point, because intraparty schisms in Washington are effectively meaningless to the rest of the world.

- The fact that U.S. policy toward Taiwan is deliberately ambiguous has only made it more difficult for the White House to draw a distinction between what Pelosi is doing and what Biden is saying.

Officially, the Biden administration has been careful to avoid directly answering questions about whether it agrees with Pelosi’s decision to make the trip.

But unofficially, the White House and the Pentagon have made little secret of their opposition to such a visit, which comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are the poorest they’ve been in decades.

In late July, Biden responded to a question about Pelosi’s then-rumored stop in Taiwan by saying, “The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now. But I don’t know what the status of it is.”

For weeks, American officials from the president on down have tied themselves into knots trying to talk about Pelosi’s choice to visit Taiwan, and stressing that it was her decision, and hers alone.

Now, experts say it’s becoming clear that this effort missed the point. That’s because schisms in Washington are effectively meaningless to the rest of the world, which has learned to view American presidents and their top allies in Congress as interchangeable stand-ins for one another on foreign policy matters.

The fact that U.S. policy toward Taiwan is deliberately ambiguous only serves to make it that much more difficult to draw any meaningful distinction between what Pelosi is doing and what the White House is saying.

#China #Pelosi

For 4 months now, the DPR forces have been holding back the enemy in the dangerous Maryinsky direction, in the Krasnogorovka area - up to 600 meters from the Ukrainian positions, the command was tasked with starting a battle to identify enemy firing points. RIA Novosti correspondent transmits footage from the scene.

I read some channels and I am amazed how people would reckon that Xi has already lost his face and his balls and deprived China of the title of a superpower. People don't have the patience. They proceed from the assumption that China had to react immediately and recklessly, otherwise they compare the Empire with a paper tiger.

China is a very patient and mostly reserved country that has a long-term vision of what it wants to achieve.

Pelosi's visit was Beijing's red line. The symbolic act of crossing this line occurred as soon as she got off the plane. So now China has every reason to do whatever it sees fit with respect to Taiwan.

When you say "no", you must mean "no". This determination can only be demonstrated through actions, not words. And China will act.

An announced military exercise since Thursday sets a new precedent, with some exercise areas intersecting with Taiwan's territorial waters. China actually encircles the island and sets up a blockade. This is just the beginning.

The Ukrainian low-cost airline Bees Airlines has been stripped of its air operator certificate. The certificate was canceled due to the failure of BIZ AIRLINE LLC to operate at least two aircraft.

It's just hell! - Zelensky recognized the advantage of the Russian Army, which smashes the Armed Forces of Ukraine

"We still cannot break the advantage of the Russian army in artillery and in manpower, and this is very felt in the battles, especially in the Donbass - Peski, Avdiivka, and other areas. It's just hell. It can't even be described in words..."

By the way, he is wrong about the advantage of the Russian army in the numbers of servicemen. On the majority of directions Russian and allied forces are outnumbered. However, their resilience, motivation and military training give an obvious advantage.

🇨🇳 "China, we are with you!"

Donetsk decided to support the People's Republic of China today.

顿涅茨克支持中国

Pelosi Trip Causes China Battery Giant to Halt Plant
August 2nd, 2022, 8:18 PM

A giant Chinese supplier of electric-vehicle batteries decided to push back announcing a multibillion-dollar North American plant to supply Tesla and Ford due to tensions raised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter. Ed Ludlow reports on "Bloomberg Markets: The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)

That looks like a beginning of many other measures...

"The Russians are advancing because they simply don't know what to do. They don't have a defense strategy" (c) Arestovich

Sounds very interesting, if true:

On the participation of the DPRK in a special military operation

1. The establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the republics of Donbass goes far beyond the recognition of the legitimacy of the DNR and LNR. A draft treaty on allied relations between Pyongyang and Donbass is currently being developed.

2. The DPRK made it clear through diplomatic channels that it is ready to help the republics by military force in the status of volunteers or in accordance with the proposed alliance agreement. We can talk about the transfer to the conflict zone of ground units manned according to wartime states (up to 100 thousand people), as well as special tactical units.

3. The army of the DPRK is one of the five strongest professional armies, with about 2 million permanent full combat readiness formations, the Air Force, the Strategic Missile Forces, the Navy and mobilization resources of 6.2 million people. The ground units are considered to be among the strongest in the world, having the highest level of preparedness for action in extreme situations, as well as a strong motivation to "destroy the American aggressors and their puppets anywhere in the world." The participation of North Korean soldiers in the special military operation can speed up the solution of its tasks and lead to the rapid defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

4. LNR and DNR, maintaining allied relations, can supply energy resources, food, grain, a wide range of consumer goods, as well as high-tech products to the DPRK - everything that falls under UN sanctions adopted under US pressure. Since 2004, these sanctions have imposed a virtual complete blockade on all trade, financial and logistical transactions with North Korea. The Republics of Donbass have no obligations to the UN and have complete freedom in choosing trading partners. The strengthening of the DPRK due to the breaking of the economic blockade will objectively weaken the position of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and, in particular, around Taiwan, supporting the military potential of the PRC in this region.

⚡️At this moment, China is conducting a massive shelling of the sea in the direction of the Taiwan Strait. Should be part of the military drills...
Or it may be a fireworks to note the arrival of an unwelcome guest.

Analysis from @Rybar:
Western Tail Wagging Itself

The so-called “Taiwan Crisis of 2022” is a perfect example of the mechanism by which news stories are shaped and reacted to within the media field. Nancy Pelosi flies to Taiwan, and 300,000 users watch tensely on FlightRadar to see whether China will shoot down her plane. The plane is not shot down, and social networks are flooded with insulting remarks against "the weakling Xi"; the free world rejoices: the US has confirmed its status of global hegemon, the world remains unipolar, everything is OK.

Against this background it is somehow forgotten that Chinese officials have not said anything about planning to shoot down the plane or even preventing it from landing in Taiwan. Why would they do this is also unclear: Pelosi is not the first American official to fly to Taipei, and she is there on a working visit, not to declare Taiwan's independence. Moreover, American officials have reiterated their commitment to a one-China policy. The Chinese promised a "military response"? Well, here it is, with artillery firing, concentration of force, and all the rhetoric appropriate in such cases.

In general, the Western media and bloggers themselves invented the news, promoted it, got scared, and then calmed themselves down. The tail may well have wagged the dog in the situation, but the majority of the Chinese people are on Weibo, not Twitter, not to mention the PRC leadership [that cares not one bit for the Western social media hysteria], and they are relatively little affected by all this pre-war post-modern hysteria. And this is for the best.

Show must go on... Continuation is looming.

China’s UK ambassador has urged British politicians not to “dance to the tune of the United States” and vowed “severe consequences” should MPs set foot in Taiwan.

Speaking at a press conference in London, the Chinese ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, who has been on parliament’s sanctions list since last summer, also reminded the British government of the joint communique the two countries signed in 1972, when they began to exchange ambassadors.

🚁 Mi-28 attack helicopter crews of the Western MD's army aviation in action during the special military operation

▫️During combat missions, the pilots destroyed strongholds and armoured vehicles of AFU units.

#MoD_art #Russia #Ukraine
@mod_russia_en

🇩🇪🇷🇺The Russian Nord Stream—2 gas pipeline needs to be launched.

This statement was made by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

"The simplest solution would be to put the Nord Stream —2 gas pipeline into operation," he stressed.

The industry and farms of Germany will have no problems if both "Nord Streams" are launched, Schroeder believes.

But problems Germany has a lot, and it is necessary to solve them in the next three months.

However, the main self-inflicted problem is in the mind.

It is in this scornful slapping of a "second-class man" by a descendant of the French colonialists that all European arrogance and hypocrisy lie.
But the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the African Republic of Benin, Aurélien Agbenonsi, is not an easy take. Agbenonsi shook Macron's disdain off his shoulder with a squeamish movement.

The main thing from the new statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the topic of the strike of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the pre-trial detention center in Yelenovka with Ukrainian prisoners:

- Kyiv insisted that the prisoners of war be placed exactly in the detention center in Yelenovka, which was attacked by the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

- Kyiv wanted to remove the witnesses and perpetrators of its crimes against its own people with a blow to Yelenovka;

- The United States is clumsily trying to justify Kyiv, declaring that its attack on Yelenovka was unintentional, although it had previously noted the high accuracy of HIMARS;

- Ukraine struck a pre-trial detention center in Yelenovka HIMARS after captured Azov militants began to testify;

- With a provocation in Yelenovka, Kyiv wanted to intimidate Ukrainian servicemen, it was an attempt to counteract their surrender;

- Kyiv attacked the detention center with prisoners of war in Yelenovka from the North-West direction;

- Russia and Ukraine have already carried out 27 operations for the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of dead servicemen;

- The repatriation of the Ukrainian military is carried out in a timely manner, 18 people have already been transferred to Ukraine.

❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦 Highlights of Russian Military Operation in Ukraine on August 2, 2022

▪️ Russian Armed Forces stuck AFU positions near Myhal'chyna-Sloboda in Chernihiv Region.

▪️ In the northern Kharkiv Region, positional fighting and mutual shelling continue.

▪️ During the night, Russian forces struck AFU’s facilities in Kharkiv, Chuhuiv and Bohodukhiv district. Russian Aerospace Forces hit the positions of Ukrainian formations in Staryi Saltiv.

▪️ Russian Armed Forces managed to gain a foothold on the eastern outskirts of Soledar, securing a bridgehead for a further offensive deep into the city. Fighting is taking place in Bakhmuts'ke.

▪️ Russian troops liberated Semyhir'ya near Vuhlehirsʹka TPP, and advancing further towards Kodema.

▪️ Allied Forces break up AFU defence in the suburbs of Donetsk. In Pisky, Ukrainian formations suffer heavy losses and retreated.

▪️ AFU’s 21st Battalion of the 56th Motorized Brigade came under "friendly" fire while retreating in the direction of Vodyane.

🇺🇸🇹🇼🇨🇳Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is currently visiting Taiwan.

What Pelosi has done:

🔹Visited the Taiwanese parliament and also met with President Tsai Ing-wen.

🔹Received the Order of Auspicious Clouds for merit in advancing relations between Taiwan and the United States.

🔹Together with Inwen, she visited the Taiwan National Museum of Human Rights.

What has Beijing done?

🔺 Has suspended the export of building materials, including sand and gravel to Taiwan. It is noteworthy that a similar measure in 2007 weakened the Taiwanese economy, provoking a halt in the construction of large-scale projects.

🔺 Suspended the import of citrus fruits and fish from the island nation.

🔺 Began large-scale exercises in the sea and airspace north, southwest and southeast of Taiwan.

🔺 Has suspended construction of a $5 billion CATL battery plant for 10,000 jobs in the US.

🔺 Demanded that airlines stop flying in Taiwan airspace.

🔺Banned Chinese companies from cooperating with the Taiwan Democracy Foundation and the Taiwan International Development Cooperation Foundation.
#China #Pelosi

Institute for the study of War has published in its report:

Initial and unconfirmed reports from August 2 suggest that Iran may have sent the first batch of UAVs to Russia for field testing. A US-based open-source intelligence (OSINT) Twitter account citing unofficial Iranian sources claimed that Iran sent a batch of UAVs to Russia, along with Iranian pilots and technicians who will train for the use and repair of Russian
Su-35 aircraft. While ISW cannot independently confirm this claim, it is consistent with recent reports that Tehran and Moscow are pursuing greater aviation cooperation in order to circumvent international sanctions on Russia and Iran and support Russian operations in Ukraine. If true, this claim suggests that Iran may be receiving Russian Su-35 aircraft in return for the drones, which could have been part of an agreement signed by Moscow and Tehran on July 26.

Russian and DNR artillery continues very dense fire in Maryinka direction.

"Wrong" story: Swedish TV channel forced to apologize for honest footage from Kherson

The Swedish TV channel apologized for the story about the crying with happiness of the inhabitants of Kherson, who became Russians.

The Swedish TV channel SVT apologized to the audience for the "wrong" story about the residents of the city of Kherson, who received Russian passports and cried with joy. It is reported by Dagens Media.

According to the portal, the report was aired on July 28. It showed the inhabitants of Kherson, who wept with joy, having received Russian passports. The footage also shows how, to the sound of the anthem, they swore allegiance to Russia. After the broadcast, the reaction of the public was not long in coming: the audience considered such a presentation of information as "propaganda" - it is reported that the Supervisory Board for Radio and Television received about 47 complaints about the channel.

The broadcaster responded by issuing a statement saying it had used Reuters footage. His correspondents worked freely and filmed without any control from the Russian military. The channel apologized to dissatisfied viewers, and SVT management lamented that "it was necessary to give people more context."

Residents of the Kherson region received their first Russian passports on July 11. Thousands of people have already applied for Russian citizenship, and hundreds of thousands of applicants. Meanwhile, Kyiv is already discussing the introduction of criminal liability for obtaining a Russian passport.

Recall that in 2019 in the Kherson region, the SBU published an article in which it was about the increase in cases of obtaining Russian passports by Ukrainians. Mykhailo Likhtey, an operative officer of the SBU in the Kherson region, considered this a threat and, with the help of an agent, published a material in which the receipt of Russian passports by Ukrainians is regarded as a factor used by the neighboring country "to split the Ukrainian nation."

Translated from source