Taiwan and Democratic Portugal
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan this week prompted the People’s Republic of China, the G7 and, in Portugal, the Communist Party to take a stand. The PCP’s exceptionality inside the doors has an explanation, as does the silence of others, including the government.
Starting at the beginning, the visit of the speaker of the Congress was communicated to the Chinese government before it was made public and did not at any time question China’s territorial unity (the “One China” principle), nor did it foster any separatist movements on the island. The Taiwanese-elected president, expressing the “pragmatism” of her people, affirmed her commitment to the status quo current relations between the strait. The G7 communiqué signed by the European Commission referred to and reinforced it. “There are no changes to the respective ‘One China’ policies or G7 members’ views on Taiwan.”
Without, China responds and responds and protests, triggering surprise 1, then security (4 over US security, leaving Sino-US dialogue aside) of climate and naval defense. The Chinese ambassador to France announced his intention not only to “reunify” Taiwan, but also to “re-educate” its inhabitants. His Washington colleague proclaimed this “reunification” as “unstoppable.” Japan’s prime minister called a Chinese escalation “a national threat” to his country. The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy spoke for hours before “the threatening actions of China”, denouncing the military exercises around the island that followed. “It is normal and routine for lawmakers to travel,” he said of Pelosi’s visit.
Please the United States be promoted and alongside the Communist Party’s threats for a “provocation” and promotion of a communist strategy here from the EU. The Portuguese government remained silent, irrevocably referring us to the last Portugal-China bilateral declaration, signed during Xi Jinping’s visit to Lisbon in 2018. “Portugal reaffirmed its continued adherence to the ‘One China’ principle, as well as as support for the Chinese position on the Taiwan issue. The Chinese side expressed appreciation for this support”, it can be read.
About this, former MEP and presidential candidate João Ferreira wrote something particularly relevant, especially because it is not true: “Both [as posições de Portugal e do PCP sobre Taiwan] coincide with each other, but also with close to 90% of the international community.” Words, even if false, worthy of analysis.
As no one is less, provably, for everyone, provably the PCP – an obviously, obviously, for everyone Democrat cannot hope about all the previous years of the PCP. Threatening to ‘reeducate’ a people by forced force is not a position worthy of Portuguese dignity.
First, because the non-recognition of Taiwan’s independence (common to 90% of the community) is equivalent to the recognition of the Chinese regime’s right to govern Taiwan (uncommon among the same 90% of the international community). Secondly, because adherence to the “One China” principle does not at all mean the same interpretation of that principle. It is no accident that the G7 communiqué refers to “as their respective policies ‘One China'”. It’s just that, contrary to what João Ferreira spreads, they are not uniform. Each has its own, respectively. This is obvious from the moment that both China, which considers the Taiwan government an affront, and Taiwan, which considers itself an independent country, subscribe to the same principle. And it becomes more obvious if we see how all the reactions to Pelosi’s visit to the United Arab Emirates to Cuba, which condemn her, to Germany and France, which do not censor her – are so different, being signatories of the same. The “One China” policy, step pleonasm, is not a single policy. To ignore it is to deny reality.
India, in establishing its diplomatic relations with Beijing, accepts the “One China” principle, but never directly refers to Taiwan. The United States accepts the “One China” principle, but confines itself to “recognising” the People’s Republic of China’s position on Taiwan. Germany accepts the “One China” principle, but does not apply it as “appreciation of the Chinese regime or assessment of Taiwan’s democratic development”. If the recognition of China’s territorial unity takes place on one of its borders, the European Union cannot rise up against the concentration camps in Xinjiang, the UK cannot defend Hong Kong’s autonomy and One-Country Commitment Systems, and as democracies around the world not being able to show solidarity with the giant demonstrations for democracy that took place there. China is sovereign. We are not blind.
The Portuguese position on Taiwan, signed two years earlier, demonstrations still, and one year before the European Commission labeled China a “systemic rival” and “a security risk that is out of step in a context of increasing radicalization of Chinese rhetoric”, appears in line with the the opening line of our governments of the last decade. From a coalition (PSD/DS) that did not become strategic to sell sectors to a prime minister (Costa) who criticized or criticized Brussels’ “protectionism” regarding Chinese investment, the country was classified as economic economies as north of the city your diplomacy. However, the aggravation of the Taiwan issue will make this solution difficult.
As no one is less, provably, for everyone, provably the PCP – an obviously, obviously, for everyone Democrat cannot hope about all the previous years of the PCP. Love to “re-educate” a people by force of arms is a position worthy of non-Portuguese arms.
Augusto Santos Silva, who has recently shown himself as the “guardian” of democratic Portugal, of Foreign Affairs when Portugal, in addition to recognizing China’s territorial unity, ministered support to its position on Taiwan. A way of doing justice to this democratic Portugal, as a vice president did less than a president of the Czech parliament will do in January of a month to visit the European president2, who shouts “Freedom when so many forget it”.
PS ‒ For eight years, it did not integrate Ukraine into the European sphere because of Putin’s reaction. For eight years, we have deepened economic dependence on Russia to appease Putin. None of that stopped him from starting a war. And none of this should stop us from learning from our mistakes. And not to repeat with Taiwan.
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