The diplomatic elite are dissatisfied with Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
When Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan generated a strong reaction from Beijing, various Indonesian media outlets, including CNN, MetroTV, and Kompas, aired footage on the subject. Dino Pati Djalal and Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro, two Indonesian specialists in foreign issues, were interviewed by CNN Indonesia on August 3. The former is a former Indonesian ambassador to the United States, and the latter is an international relations lecturer at Yogyakarta’s Gajahmada University.
Dino feels Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan is rushed and irresponsible, and he claims he is unaware of Pelosi’s genuine motives. According to analysts from The New York Times, Pelosi’s actions were foolish and irresponsible, because the visit would not alter the present situation in Taiwan, but rather exacerbate it and plunge it into disaster. He concurs with the American commentators.
Dino further stated that Biden tried to persuade Pelosi to cancel her trip to Taiwan, but she refused, and Biden was unable to stop her. After all, she was the speaker, but her actions strained Sino-US relations even further. Dino went on to claim that China had cautioned the US not to play with fire before Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan because it would undermine China’s national security interests.
If China does not respond forcefully to Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, it would not only lose face, but the rest of the world may perceive China as weak. As a result, Beijing must respond. After Pelosi departed Taiwan, Beijing conducted military maneuvers surrounding the island.
Dino is concerned about the potential for a chain reaction of events to spiral out of control. He expects that China and the United States can exercise moderation, and the most important thing is that US and Chinese authorities continue to communicate in order to prevent mishaps and conflict. Although Dino believes that there will be no conflict between China and the US, and that military drills will cease, he feels that the harm created by Pelosi this time will not be restored in the near future.
Rachmat’s viewpoint is similar to Dino’s. He called Pelosi a “stupid thing.” Her visit to Taiwan strained Sino-American relations. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is far from done, and the US has already made several rounds and turns, including bringing up the Taiwan problem. I’m not sure what the goal is. Now, Sino-US ties have deteriorated further, threatening regional and global stability. Rachmat believes that the situation will not worsen, and he also said that, thankfully, neither power wants to go to war at this juncture, but ties have been harmed further.
Voices both pro-Russian and antiAmerican
Rachmat was questioned by CNN Indonesia’s anchor if China is now allied with Russia and North Korea against the United States. According to Rachmat, China, Russia, and North Korea do not create military alliances like the West, and if one member nation is attacked, the other allies will go to war. China and other nations, in reality, have not created a military alliance.
It is worth noting that, according to Indonesia’s Antara News Agency, Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of international relations at the University of Indonesia, also stated on the same day that Pelosi’s travel to Taiwan generated anxiety in the area and harmed regional peace and stability.