{"id":256832,"date":"2022-08-01T06:58:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T06:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=256832"},"modified":"2022-08-02T06:14:44","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T06:14:44","slug":"china-is-issuing-the-same-red-line-warnings-about-taiwan-that-russia-issued-about-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=256832","title":{"rendered":"China Is Issuing The Same \u201cRed Line\u201d Warnings About Taiwan That Russia Issued About Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Caitlyn Johnstone \u2013 Medium.com July 28, 2022<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued to pour gasoline on the <a href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/p\/warmongering-republicans-have-throbbing\">foreign policy dumpster fire<\/a> that is her planned visit to Taiwan next month, now reportedly encouraging other members of congress to come along for the ride.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpeaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has invited a small group of lawmakers on her official trip to Taiwan, including the top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,\u201d NBC News <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/pelosi-invited-senior-lawmakers-join-taiwan-trip-top-republican-says-rcna40242\">reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This trip, which Beijing perceives as an egregious transgression of Washington\u2019s longstanding one-China policy, is already so incendiary that the Pentagon is now planning to send in fighter jets and other war machinery to protect Pelosi\u2019s plane in case of attacks by the Chinese military.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">While already waging a war on Russia, the US empire is also really trying to start a war with China:<\/p>\n<p>The US military is considering sending *fighter jets* to accompany a top US official as she meets with secessionists in China&#39;s province of Taiwan, who are armed with US weapons. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WV1azGMEdR\">https:\/\/t.co\/WV1azGMEdR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Benjamin Norton (@BenjaminNorton) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BenjaminNorton\/status\/1552442077270900736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>AP <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-government-and-politics-30bb4a00c7fd0e41c16b6791da6ad4a0\">reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>While U.S. officials say they have little fear that Beijing would attack the U.S. House speaker\u2019s plane, they are aware that a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. So the Pentagon is developing plans for any contingency.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Officials told The Associated Press that if Pelosi goes to Taiwan \u2014 still an uncertainty \u2014 the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region. They declined to provide details, but said that fighter jets, ships, surveillance assets and other military systems would likely be used to provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan and any time on the ground there.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This risk alone would be reason enough to cancel the trip, but adding to the concern is the fact that the Chinese government has begun warning against it using the same \u201cred line\u201d language that Russia was using in the lead-up to its invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have repeatedly made clear our our firm opposition to Speaker Pelosi\u2019s potential visit to Taiwan. If the US side insists on making the visit and challenges China\u2019s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures,\u201d China\u2019s Foreign Ministry spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/eng\/xwfw_665399\/s2510_665401\/202207\/t20220727_10728854.html\">Zhao Lijiang said Wednesday<\/a>. \u201cThe U.S. must assume full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWe have repeatedly made clear our firm opposition to speaker Pelosi\u2019s\u2026visit to Taiwan. If the US insists on\u2026challenging china\u2019s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures. The US must ensure full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1gV59GwRtF\">pic.twitter.com\/1gV59GwRtF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Fiorella Isabel (@FiorellaIsabelM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FiorellaIsabelM\/status\/1552343439789789184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>China has been using this same language since news first broke about Pelosi\u2019s planned trip, with Chinese state media Global Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202207\/1270920.shtml\">saying last week<\/a> that \u201cvisiting Taiwan is definitely a red line that Pelosi must never cross.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the lead-up to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was issuing similar warnings using the same phrase. Putin warned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2021\/11\/18\/putin-accuses-west-of-taking-russias-red-lines-too-lightly\">over<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/stocks\/putin-warns-russia-will-act-if-nato-crosses-its-red-lines-ukraine-2021-11-30\/\">over again<\/a> that the west was taking Moscow\u2019s \u201cred lines\u201d on Ukrainian neutrality too lightly, and Washington <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/joe-biden-tells-vladimir-putin-where-to-shove-his-red-lines?source=twitter&amp;via=desktop\">brazenly dismissed<\/a> those warnings while continuing to <a href=\"https:\/\/responsiblestatecraft.org\/2021\/10\/20\/russia-relations-sour-as-austin-floats-georgia-ukraine-nato-membership\/\">float the possibility<\/a> of future NATO membership for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t accept anybody\u2019s red lines,\u201d President Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Marekwalkuski\/status\/1466993851202260996\">told the press<\/a> in December of last year when asked about the warnings.<\/p>\n<p>Weeks later Putin made good on his threat, launching a horrific war that has killed thousands and which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.readthemaple.com\/yes-the-ukraine-war-could-have-been-prevented\/\">could easily have been prevented<\/a> with a few low-cost concessions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is that red line that I talked about multiple times,\u201d Putin <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/G5ejr#selection-579.0-579.99\">said<\/a>. \u201cThey have crossed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Was it worth it?<\/p>\n<p>Of course not.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Joe Biden Tells Vladimir Putin Where to Shove His \u2018Red Lines\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/upLip4Sz9r\">https:\/\/t.co\/upLip4Sz9r<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Hal Sparks (@HalSparks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HalSparks\/status\/1468619444976906243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Failing to learn from history is one thing; failing to learn even from the last five months is quite another. Pelosi and whoever\u2019s orchestrating her trip should abort those plans immediately, because the dangers that are being toyed with here are not worth the moral victory of being able to say that China didn\u2019t make you swerve in the stupidest <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chicken_(game)\">game of \u201cchicken\u201d<\/a> that has ever been played.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening here. China\u2019s \u201cred line\u201d warnings make it clear that Pelosi landing in Taiwan will at best kick up brinkmanship between the two nations another notch, while Republicans are <a href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/2022\/07\/26\/warmongering-republicans-have-throbbing-hard-ons-for-pelosis-taiwan-trip\/\">aggressively pushing the narrative<\/a> that if the trip doesn\u2019t happen it will mean that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarshaBlackburn\/status\/1552061592346529797\">Communist China is winning<\/a>.\u201d The political pressure is on the side of escalation, with even <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepRoKhanna\/status\/1551687810691760131\">progressive Democrats supporting Pelosi\u2019s move<\/a> and calls for de-escalation and detente becoming increasingly relegated to the sidelines.<\/p>\n<p>We shouldn\u2019t have to deal with this. We shouldn\u2019t be watching a whole new country added to the potential flashpoints for nuclear armageddon just because some octogenarian in congress is too old to care if her plane gets shot down. We shouldn\u2019t be risking another deadly conflict which stands to benefit no ordinary person over what amounts to nothing more than petty egoic chest-pounding.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If Pelosi does not go to Taiwan, Communist China is winning.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarshaBlackburn\/status\/1552061592346529797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We shouldn\u2019t have to hope that the world\u2019s most powerful people don\u2019t take some idiotic risks for no good reason which could hurt us all or even end up getting us all killed. We should not have systems in place which can allow the worst things imaginable to happen if the tyrants who rule over us don\u2019t happen to make the wisest decision on any given day.<\/p>\n<p>Our futures shouldn\u2019t depend upon the better angels of the worst monsters. Those with power have far too much of it, and the ordinary people of this world have not nearly enough.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">___________________<\/p>\n<p><em>My work is <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/2021\/05\/24\/my-experiments-with-hacking-capitalism\/\"><em>entirely reader-supported<\/em><\/a><em>, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, following me on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CaitlinAJohnstone\/\"><em>Facebook<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/caitoz\"><em>Twitter<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/going_rogue\"><em>Soundcloud<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/CaitlinJohnstone\/videos\"><em>YouTube<\/em><\/a><em>, or throwing some money into my tip jar on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/caitlinjohnstone\"><em>Ko-fi<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/user?u=4445783\"><em>Patreon<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/paypal.me\/caitlinjohnstone\"><em>Paypal<\/em><\/a><em>. If you want to read more you can <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/caityjohnstone.medium.com\/books-by-caitlin-johnstone-a5a5e6f71772\"><em>buy my books<\/em><\/a><em>. The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.com\/\"><em>my website<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/caitlinjohnstone.substack.com\/\"><em>on Substack<\/em><\/a><em>, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@caityjohnstone\/i-permanently-release-all-copyrights-to-all-my-writing-use-any-of-it-however-you-want-9ad929b92d42\"><em>has my permission<\/em><\/a><em> to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else I\u2019ve written) in any way they like free of charge. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I\u2019m trying to do with this platform, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@caityjohnstone\/11-things-you-should-know-about-me-and-where-im-coming-from-a6b9ddf9806e\"><em>click here<\/em><\/a><em>. All works co-authored with my American husband Tim Foley.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/caityjohnstone.medium.com\/china-is-issuing-the-same-red-line-warnings-about-taiwan-that-russia-issued-about-ukraine-4ab806ded072\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Putin also warned of \u201cred lines\u201d and Biden responded by saying: \u201cI don\u2019t accept anybody\u2019s red lines.\u201d Now we have a war in Ukraine that has cost many thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of lives, which could have been avoided with a few low-key concessions  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":256834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78,61,91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-256832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-china","category-Commentary","category-russia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=256832"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":256867,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256832\/revisions\/256867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/256834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=256832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=256832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=256832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}