Samoa Observer

Pelosi caused 'high blood pressure' with Taiwan trip: Tuilaepa

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Pelosi caused 'high blood pressure' with Taiwan trip: Tuilaepa

By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi 16 August 2022, 11:57PM

Samoa’s Opposition Leader has slammed a visit to Taiwan by the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker, saying Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit caused “high blood pressure” for citizens.

The former prime minister and currently suspended Lepa MP Tuilaepa Dr. Sa'ilele Malielegaoi told the local media that the visit by the American politician was "unnecessary interference and provocation.”

Ms. Pelosi’s visit to the Indo-Pacific early this month covered Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. 

However, Tuilaepa questioned the rationale of such a visit to Taipei, which he said now threatens the peace in the region.

"From the perspective of a small Island Country in the middle of this vast Pacific ocean, whose only concern is a peaceful ocean to provide our children with daily sustenance, the visit has caused unnecessary ripples, darken the blue waters of the Pacific ocean and brought unnecessary headaches and high blood pressure to its citizens," Tuilaepa told the reporters.

"The geopolitical worries and concerns of the many powerful countries of the World are matters far, far beyond our daily priorities.

"As the oldest Member of our Parliament and the leader of the Human Rights Protection Party, I see Madam Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an unnecessary interference and provocation by the Speaker on a highly sensitive and dangerous political issue impacting the relationship between the government of the United States and the People’s Republic of China and peace in the Pacific and the world."

Tuilaepa, whose Administration was toppled in last year’s general election by Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party led by his successor and Samoa’s first woman Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, then gave Ms. Pelosi a lecture on the role of a speaker in a parliament.

"Business of the Speaker is to conduct the meetings of the peoples’ representatives in their Houses of Parliament, while international relation policies are the responsibilities of their executive governments headed by the presidents or the prime Ministers."

Tuilaepa added that Ms. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was an "embarrassment" to the U.S. President Joe Biden.

"For Pelosi to take on the role of the President of the great United States, this is an embarrassment to President Biden and the Democratic Party.

"It appears now to the other leaders of the world that the most powerful democracy in the world, the United States, is led by a very weak president. 

"The United Nations has by resolution supported the One China Policy and the United States Government by virtue of its agreement with China when opening up their relations in 1979, four years after Samoa signed its own friendly agreement with China, also recognised the one China Policy.

"The Pacific and the world do not need another Putin style blunder which is now creating havoc worldwide.

"The Taiwan visit gives all of us a good lesson to remain peaceful and vigilant against what their blind and power-hungry speakers of their Parliaments can do to their countries."

By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi 16 August 2022, 11:57PM
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