Vicious American hypocrisy in action again — this time with the Solomon Islands

© 2019 Peter Free

 

22 September 2019

 

 

The background

 

Last week (16 September), Reuters tweeted that the Solomon Islands — population roughly 600,000 — had cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan — and shifted them to the People's Republic of China.

 

A few days later, China Daily more intelligibly explained the situation:

 

 

China and the Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations on Saturday, after the Pacific island country severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

 

According to the communique, the government of the Solomon Island recognizes that there is but one China in the world, the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

 

The government of the Solomon Islands commits not to have any official relations or exchanges with Taiwan, it said.

 

© 2019 Zhou Jin, China, Solomon Islands establish diplomatic relations, China Daily (21 September 2019)

 

 

Trot in US vindictiveness

 

American authorities reacted in the nastily inclined ways that they always seem to.

 

Senator Marco Rubio tweeted:

 

 

And now I will begin exploring ways to cut off ties with #SolomonIslands including potentially ending financial assistance & restricting access to U.S. dollars & banking.

 

 

Vice President Pence cancelled a meeting (about development partnerships) with Solomon Island officials.

 

And:

 

Gloria Steele, acting assistant administrator of USAID’s Asia bureau, replied: “We are reassessing our assistance to the Solomon Islands at this point.”

 

 

Reuters pointed to the hypocrisy involved

 

 

The United States upholds what is known as the “one-China” policy, officially recognizing Beijing and not Taipei, while assisting Taiwan.

 

But while working to counter China’s expanding global influence, Washington has criticized countries for switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

 

© 2019 David Brunnstrom and Leslie Adler, U.S. reassessing aid to Solomon Islands after Taiwan ties cut, Reuters (18 September 2019)

 

 

In other words — " We can do it, but you can't"

 

David Larison explained the strategic consequences of being an American dumbass:

 

 

The senator [Marco Rubio] is threatening to penalize a small country for switching their diplomatic ties from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China.

 

Not only is this a heavy-handed and stupid response to growing Chinese influence, since it would guarantee that the Solomons become even more dependent on China, but it is utter hypocrisy for an American politician to berate another government for doing what our government did forty years ago.

 

It is crude bullying against one of the poorest countries in the world, and Floridians should be embarrassed to be represented by someone who engages in it.

 

© 2019 Daniel Larison, The Petty Cruelty of Hawks, American Conservative (17 December 2019)

 

 

The moral? — To be an American leader — one apparently has to combine viciousness with stone-skulled strategic stupidity

 

And it does not seem to matter, history indicates, which of the two preeminent American political parties is in charge.