Taiwanese Protest Pelosi’s Visit: ’Get Out Trouble Maker!’

By Staff, Global Times

Civic groups, politicians, and business and industry representatives on the island of Taiwan on Tuesday protested against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's potential visit, amid drastically escalating military tension across the Taiwan Straits after US- and Taiwan-based media on Monday disclosed that the 82-year-old No.3 US official is expected to visit the island on Tuesday night.

The Taipei-based Chinese Patriotic Concentric Association took to the street at a site near the Grand Hyatt hotel in the Xinyi district, where Pelosi is reportedly to stay. The crowd ranged from a few hundred to about 1,000 people from various civic groups.

Gu Xijun, the vice president of the aforementioned group, told the Global Times that the protests and boycotts "will accompany Pelosi wherever she appears in Taiwan."

Zhang Xiuye, another Taiwan resident who has participated in the rally, told the Global Times that US politicians constantly create cross-Straits tensions and use Taiwan as their ATM.

"If we don't warn the Yanks in Taiwan, then we will be like Tsai Ing-wen who is acquiescing to the Yanks," she said. "Both sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family, and we can sit down and talk without the Yanks interfering. We sincerely hope for early reunification."

Wu Cherng-dean, chairman of the pro-reunification New Party, said on Tuesday that the party is firmly opposed to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, saying that Pelosi is "harmful to Taiwan without bringing any benefits."

Wu said that Pelosi's visit would push Taiwan into a fire and turn the island into a battlefield.

Taiwan-based media reported that several groups will hold protest rallies at the American Institute in Taiwan [AIT], Songshan Airport and the Grand Hyatt Hotel during Pelosi's visit.

A number of Taiwan civic groups gathered in front of the AIT as early as Monday afternoon, with hundreds of people holding placards with slogans such as "American witch get out of Taiwan, China," and "get out, trouble maker Nancy Pelosi!" after US and Taiwan-based media disclosed that Pelosi is expected to land in Taipei on Tuesday evening and stay in Taipei overnight.

Taiwan's stock market plunged 250 points in early trading on Tuesday morning, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co [TSMC] down more than 2 percent. Taiwan-based media said investors' confidence in Taiwan stocks was dented by the rising geopolitical tensions caused by Pelosi's possible visit.

Taiwan-based media China Times said on Tuesday that the DPP authorities considered cancelling the visit, but Pelosi insisted.

"It once again proved that Taiwan is just a pawn of the US and has no right to agree or disagree," Chang said.

The island has also become a chessboard, on which confrontation and conflict between Chinese mainland and the US occurs, Chang said, noting that however, it is Taiwan that will have to bear the consequences.