The consequences of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan earlier this month are still visible. The Chinese news agency Xinhua stated on Tuesday that China has now penalized seven Taiwanese officials for supporting Taiwan’s independence. Pelosi’s visit, according to China, sends the incorrect message to local forces for freedom. Taiwan, which is democratically autonomous, resists Chinese sovereignty over it.
Hsiao Bi-khim, the de facto Taiwan ambassador to Washington, and Wellington Koo, the secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, are among those who have received approval from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. Additionally, Democratic Progressive Party politicians from Taiwan’s government were punished.

According to a representative for the Taiwan Affairs Office, those sanctioned will not be permitted to go to China, Hong Kong, or Macau. As a result, businesses and investors connected to these people won’t be allowed to generate wealth in China. Meanwhile, the same country which is obsessed with curbing freedom of expression is in a grave economic crisis.

The seven join the already sanctioned individuals, including Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and Parliament Speaker You Si-Kun.

Angered by Pelosi’s visit, China had earlier conducted military exercises close to Taiwan as a show of force. Pelosi had stated that the US could not allow China to normalize the new level of pressure it has placed on Taiwan when discussing the retaliation drills.

Pelosi, who has long been an outspoken critic of China, asserted, “We went there to praise Taiwan. We went there to show our friendship, to say China cannot isolate Taiwan.”

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