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LAST UPDATE | 3 Aug 2022
TWENTY-SEVEN CHINESE warplanes flew into Taiwan’s air defence zone today, Taipei said, as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made her controversial visit to the self-ruled island that Beijing considers its territory.
“27 PLA aircraft… entered the surrounding area of (Republic of China) on August 3, 2022,” the defence ministry said in a tweet.
Taiwan, however, struck a defiant tone as it hosted the US House Speaker, despite a furious China gearing up for military exercises dangerously close to the island’s shores in retaliation for the visit.
Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday despite a series of increasingly stark threats from Beijing, which views the island as its territory and had said it would consider the visit a major provocation.
China responded swiftly, announcing what it said were “necessary and just” military drills in the seas just off Taiwan’s coast – some of the world’s busiest waterways.
“In the current struggle surrounding Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.
But Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the island of 23 million would not be cowed.
“Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will… continue to hold the line of defence for democracy,” Tsai said at an event with Pelosi in Taipei.
She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for “taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment”, and presented the speaker with a civilian honour, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.
China tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.
Pelosi’s trip has heightened US-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives.
She is the first speaker of the house to come to Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997.
“Today, our delegation… came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan,” she said at the event with Tsai.
“America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.”
She added her group had come “in friendship to Taiwan” and “in peace to the region”.
Before leaving Taiwan, Pelosi also met with several dissidents who have previously been in the crosshairs of China’s wrath – including Tiananmen protest student leader Wu’er Kaixi.
“We are in high agreement that Taiwan is in the frontline (of democracy),” Wu’er said.
“Both the United States and Taiwan governments need to… conduct more in defending human rights.”
Pelosi’s delegation left Taiwan on Wednesday evening headed to South Korea, her next stop in an Asia tour. She will head to Japan after.
‘High alert’
The administration of President Joe Biden said in the run-up to the visit that US policy towards Taiwan remained unchanged.
This means support for its government while diplomatically recognising Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.
While the White House is understood to be opposed to Pelosi’s Taiwan stop, its National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.
Beijing summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns over Pelosi’s visit, while the Chinese military declared it was on “high alert” and would “launch a series of targeted military actions in response” to the visit.
The drills will include “long-range live ammunition shooting” in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China and straddles vital shipping lanes.
The zone of Chinese exercises will be within 20 kilometres of Taiwan’s shoreline at some points, according to coordinates released by the Chinese military.
“Some of the areas of China’s drills breach into… (Taiwan’s) territorial waters,” defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said at a press conference Wednesday.
“This is an irrational move to challenge the international order.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which sets the government’s China policies, accused Beijing of “vicious intimidation” that would “seriously impact the peace and prosperity of the entire East Asia”.
It added that democratic countries should “unite and take a solemn stand to punish and deter” Beijing.
Japan, a key US ally in the region, said Wednesday it had expressed concern to China over the exercises, while South Korea called for dialogue to maintain regional peace.
‘We shouldn’t be too worried’
Beijing has long used diplomatic, military and economic pressure on Taiwan.
On Wednesday China announced curbs on the import of fruit and fish from Taiwan – citing the detection of pesticide residue and the coronavirus. It also halted shipments of sand to the island.
“Those who offend China will be punished,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters while on a trip to Cambodia.
Outside the Taiwanese parliament, 31-year-old computer programmer Frank Chen shrugged off the Chinese warnings against Pelosi’s visit.
“I’m not too worried about China’s intimidation,” he told AFP.
“I think China will take more threatening actions and ban more Taiwanese products, but we shouldn’t be too worried.”
There was a small group of pro-China demonstrators outside parliament as well.
“The United States uses Taiwan as a pawn in its confrontation with China, to try to drag China down so (it) can dominate the world,” Lee Kai-dee, a 71-year-old retired researcher, told AFP.
“If the United States continues to act this way, Taiwan will end up like Ukraine.”
China has vowed to annex self-ruled, democratic Taiwan one day, by force if necessary.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February heightened fears in Taiwan that China may similarly follow through on its threats to annex the island.
With reporting from © AFP 2022
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And what about the law? Has this been reported to the Gardai?
I believe, open to correction, he was tried and found not guilty.
Yes
If he was found not guilty in a court of law than why has the Church done this?
Either they know more than came out at the trial or this is a PR stunt by them
Irish Red and Captain Rock and Niall. The man was tried for alleged sexual offences and found guilty by jury. In the eyes of the law of the State he is an innocent man. In the eyes of the law not so much it seems.
Sorry that should have said “in the eyes of the Church”.
Ah crap that should be “not guilty” ( The sooner I get a keyboard for this tablet the better)
I read the sections of the Cloynes report regarding this man. It seems many if the victims eventually went to Gardai but for one reason or another many of the 6 did not get to court. One victim died and a nun who made an allegation against him did not want to press charges. The framework that the church now use (supposedly) and adhere to now obligates the church to report it to the Gardai whether the victim wants them to or not. This Framework was either not in place when some of the allegations were made or they were simply ignored.
I think the sooner your off the tablets you mean
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, STOP GIVING MONEY TO THE CHURCH.Stop christening your children, stop getting married in churches, stop associating yourself (for fear of offending someone) with them. In short stop supporting this grubby, corrupt organisation.
hear, very hear.
Very well said. Anyone who promotes, supports or contributes to this organisation is partly responsible for their crimes.
I agree with what you’re saying. But if you’re looking for spiritual guidance, what’s the alternative? The law of the land will guide us in terms of what is write and wrong from a legal standpoint – we wouldnt want to rely on individual accountability for that. But what about from a moral standpoint? Do we leave it up to the individual? Again, to reiterate, I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m just wondering if you have an alternative suggestion.
Phil I would say that we have evolved beyond the need to have a focal point for our morals.
In the wake of the scandals, cover ups and disregard for the world’s financial struggles that have hit the Catholic Church I doubt that they will be that focal point anyway
I think you’re right. The church has lost its moral authority. I just fear for the future of our society when it’s up to individuals to self-censure.
@ Phil, one can have morals without religion.
No wedding invitations for you then.
Hi Phil, I think this documentary covers the issue of our innate moral compass http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xucvlh_s-ex-death-and-the-meaning-of-lfife-episode-1-richard-dawkins_shortfilms#.UUyW7RxnSSo
You don’t need organised religion to believe in God.
I’m not looking for ways to affirm belief in god. You don’t need to believe in god to have a developed sense of morality. I’m wondering where individuals should turn to if they want moral guidance….
Phil, if you want spiritual guidance, you can get it in many places. Christianity is not where you’ll find it.
Phil,
Secular ethics and morality surpassed biblical ethics and morality during the enlightenment. Intelligent thought is the source of our understanding of morality, not an invisible deity or an ancient book.
Think about it. The bible is loaded with passages relating to morality that we universally ignore. Stone people for working on the sabbath, advocation of slavery (even jesus advocated slavery) etc. How do we know to ignore those passages?
I’ll tell you. It’s because the moral compass that tells us what is and is not moral is not the book. It is the common morality of the time we live in and that comes from secular sources. The same thing that guides you to ignore certain biblical passages is the thing that guides me to be an ethical and moral human being.
If we really relied on the bible for morality, the punishment we’d still be stoning women to death at their fathers’ doors for not being virgins on their wedding nights. We’d be punishing rapists by forcing them to marry their victims! We’d be treating people, especially women, as property.
“No wedding invitations for you then”
Very intelligent Declan. You’re right up there with the idiots who claim atheists should have to work on christmas day, or that we have no right to attend the funerals, or that if we want to school our children in a way that doesn’t offend our values we should go build our own damn schools.
In other words, you’re a bigot.
I’m sorry I should have been clearer. This is NOT a case of morality or belief. I’m talking about people who clearly don’t believe in the Catholic Church (wording is deliberate) yet actively support and promote it because they don’t want to offend their parents, aunts, grannies. I’m saying STOP. You don’t need the church for anything. Walk away stop promoting them and they will disappear or at least contract and get back to what it pre ports to be about. If you are religious and support the church more power to you. You’re misguided IMHO but that’s your business.
My thoughts exactly. That’s what I’ve been doing for 20 years. If more people would do it the power of the church would be diminished in this country .
Aggressive, I just just kidding with my comment.
Aggressive, I actually gave you a green thumb for your comment above.
Although the use of the word “aggressive” in your user name is a bit off putting.
Btw, it’s not me who says that athiests should work on Christmas or not attend funerals. That was burning van who implied that.
5o reasons to boycott the church http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2013/03/fifty-reasons-to-boycott-the-catholic-church/
Phil, why would we need spiritual guidance from an organisation which supports the covering up of the rape and abuse of children? Maybe it is they who need guidance from the ordinary lay person who knows right from wrong.
” A canonical penal trial ” no less. When is the criminal trial due to start for him AND his colleagues who covered it up ?
Brian
The Church doesn’t have the authority to carry out criminal proceedings.
No Peter, but the Gardaí and the courts do. And his colleagues have an obligation, if not legally, but morally to report these sort of crimes.
He has been tried and found not guilty. I actually sat across from him at one stage as I happened to be in court on the same day. His name is well known but because of being tried and acquitted he is allowed to walk the streets free.
Thanks Brian
Was that recently and if so was it reported in the press? Any link would be appreciated.
Sorry Rommel I can’t do that for legal reasons as well as the fact that he has not been named publicly in the press as a result of the secret court that dismissed him.
Hi Brian, found the info since online. Good ole google. Thanks anyway :-)
No problem Rommel. I have to say that some of your personal tweets make for some very interesting reading!!!
Interesting good or interesting bad? ;)
Well let’s put it this way, sometimes twitter is definetly faster than word of mouth. It also means that websites are not responsible for what people tweet on their own personal accounts off site.
Sorry Brian, you’ve lost me. Have I said something out of order or something?
Nope far from it.
Especially child abuse
Is there any end to these entities that have used the cover of religious and the cloth to prey on the weak and vulnerable
Shame on them all
I agree with previous opinion, stop supporting this dirty, grubby, trashy parasite.it has only caused mental, physical & sex sexual abuse for centuries and made generations kneel while “confessing”sins.while they watched their own people get fiddly with children.
Proper order.
What?!
Dismissed!
The pervert should be in jail.
Aiding and abetting is still a crime.
Well as he’s been found not guilty by a judge and jury then clearly not, though it does make you wonder how a jury could come to the opposite conclusion to the church court.
Name and shame. People should know who this is for their and their children’s safety.
The article named Fr Ronat.
But Fr Ronat is a psedonym.
The name was in inverted commas. Means it’s not his real name
Learn something new everyday. Yes he really should be named and shamed then.
Johnny’s got a problem !! Ah sure send him off to the priesthood that will sort him out ,
It sure did sort him out and the kids payed the price!!
WHAT? I’m shocked!!!!
What are you shocked at, Cliona? That people are feeling hurt and betrayed by those who set themselves up as our moral arbiters and then turned out to have grabbed the moral low ground, or that these so-called moral guardians have been found out for exactly what they are?
I do believe Cliona was being sarcastic….
If so apologies, Cliona. My sarcasmometer must be switched off today! Thanks Andrea.
We need an emoticon for sarcasm, I’ve fallen foul on here a few times myself :-)
Someone suggested (!) for sarcasm. Maybe we should get some feedback on that?
Ya why don’t you spearhead a little focus group? Run that suggestion up the flagpole and see if the hat fits. Good work team.
I don’t know about Ireland, but many of us in the US use /s/ for sarcasm. Avoids a lot of misunderstandings.
The broader issue is an institution of priesthood which allows only male members, male members who decide and make an oath not to have a sexual relationship with an adult female, to be celibate (not chaste), who have the perfect excuse not to have a relates hip with an adult female, who have power and implicit trust, access to children and enjoy an aura of superior morality, so that child complainants would not be believed. What better self selecting environment for either active paedophiles and paederasts or those who have these desires.
Celibacy does not drive men to paedophilia but it is a very convenient cloak.
It reminds me of that visit by a curare to a house in Tallaght. The woman who answered the curate’s raining the door bell mildly replied. ” ahh Father, you are wasting your time here; we have no children.”
I left the Roman Catholic Church because I oppose paedophlia. It seems to me that it is illegal, immoral, indecent and repugnant and I find it hard to understand why Roman Catholic parents and the institution of the Roman Catholic Church perceive of the embedded and widespread problem of paedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church is perceived as a damage limitation and risk management exercise rather than a repulsive and repugnant sexual exploitation of children, the removal of innocence and the permanent maiming of lives.
I do appreciate, however, that the Roman Catholic Church notion of forgiveness means that an occasional confession wipes the slate clean.
Strange and even sinister group those Roman Catholics but these is recovery and there is hope outside that toxic body.
You can say that again.
Brilliantly said Peter ! Respect !
Why is he being tried by the rules of a private club rather than the state courts?
P.
I’m sure this is a nice place but what is it about Cloyne diocese?
I mean,this is not the first time it’s in the news re priests misbehaving,is it?
And is he to be prosecuted? Or is he yet another abuser not subject to the law?
Absolutely meaningless, too little too late.
Only dismissed? That’s disgusting. He should be locked up and being beaten and raped daily.
Just beaten is good..sick f*** would probably enjoy being raped..not because he’s a “man of God’ because he’s a twisted human being..
The broader issue is an institution of priesthood which allows only male members, male members who decide and make an oath not to have a sexual relationship with an adult female, to be celibate (not chaste), who have the perfect excuse not to have a relates hip with an adult female, who have power and implicit trust, access to children and enjoy an aura of superior morality, so that child complainants would not be believed. What better self selecting environment for either active paedophiles and paederasts or those who have these desires.
Celibacy does not drive men to paedophilia but it is a very convenient cloak.
It reminds me of that visit by a curate to a house in Tallaght. The woman who answered the curate’s ringing the door bell mildly replied. ” ahh Father, you are wasting your time here; we have no children.”
I left the Roman Catholic Church because I oppose paedophlia. It seems to me that it is illegal, immoral, indecent and repugnant and I find it hard to understand why Roman Catholic parents and the institution of the Roman Catholic Church perceive of the embedded and widespread problem of paedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church is perceived as a damage limitation and risk management exercise rather than a repulsive and repugnant sexual exploitation of children, the removal of innocence and the permanent maiming of lives.
I do appreciate, however, that the Roman Catholic Church notion of forgiveness means that an occasional confession wipes the slate clean.
Strange and even sinister group those Roman Catholics but these is recovery and there is hope outside that toxic body.
Confession to the predator just means a victim willing to be done over again. The victim is offering a second chance, but the predator is seeing nothing but a second chance to predate .
This man was tried against a judge an jury he was left off.. He was tried against cannon law which also holds it’s own investigation he was found guilty. Does that mean the “catholic church is wrong??? I honestly don’t get ppl comments.. They rip the Catholic Church 2 pieces for doing wrong an then wen they do something right they are also wrong… It baffles me!!!
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