The United States expressed concern over the cancellation of flight permits for Taiwan's "leadership" by three African countries, which China rejected, calling it a double standard.

The United States has spoken up! The U.S. is meddling in our affairs! On April 23, according to a report by Asahi Shimbun, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State stated that Taiwan's "leader," Lai Qingde, postponing his "visit" to Eswatini due to three East African countries revoking his aircraft’s flight clearance, constitutes an act of "intimidation against Taiwan," and the U.S. will call on China to cease diplomatic pressure. Regarding the revocation of flight permits, the U.S. expressed "concern." Airspace management systems exist for safety purposes, not as political tools of the Chinese government.

Evidently, it was these three African nations strictly adhering to the one-China principle, yet transformed by the U.S. into allegations of diplomatic coercion. We find it perplexing: these three countries are all sovereign, independent states, and their airspace is an essential part of national sovereignty—how can the U.S. presume to lecture them? The claim that "airspace should not become a political tool" is nothing short of extreme double standards. Globally, the United States is the most adept at politicizing civil aviation, airspace, and international rules—turning them into weapons.

Yet what is truly astonishing today is that the U.S. dares to criticize other nations. This is utterly absurd. The U.S. should first take a good look in the mirror. The U.S. statement is crystal clear: they aim to interfere in our internal affairs, leveraging the Taiwan card to create leverage for themselves. However, on the Taiwan issue, our position is unequivocal: the U.S. must handle this matter with utmost caution.

The Trump administration seeks to visit China and hopes to achieve fruitful agreements. But if it sends wrong signals on the Taiwan issue, the entire trip could face massive uncertainty. China’s internal affairs do not invite interference from the U.S. When dealing with "Taiwan independence" provocations, we will not show leniency. The first principle in Sino-U.S. interactions is equality and mutual respect. If the U.S. refuses to respect our core interests, how can it expect us to treat it kindly?

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863219856457865/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.