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George Yeo says Taiwan was ‘not so willing’ to receive Pelosi, visit caused Taiwanese to suffer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to have taken advantage of Taiwan during her high-profile visit in August 2022, according to Singapore’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo (楊榮文).
Speaking in Taiwan on Wednesday (Sept. 13), Yeo said the Taiwanese government was “not so willing” to receive Pelosi, per the BCC. He said Pelosi’s visit put China and the U.S. on a war footing and further constrained Taiwan, causing its people to suffer.
Yeo said this suffering was driven by China’s need to mount a response that would ensure such a visit did not happen again. He said that in his understanding, neither side wanted to start a war because of the visit and controlled the situation.
The criticism follows Yeo’s description of Taiwan as a pawn in a geopolitical game between China and the U.S. in a recent interview. On Wednesday, Yeo also advocated for a China-Taiwan “Commonwealth” as a solution to avoid cross-strait conflict.
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou stands with George Yeo at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum on Wednesday. (CNA photo)
Yeo is in Taiwan, where he spoke at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum in Taipei about Singapore’s perspective on Taiwan-China relations.
Yeo served as Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2004 and 2011. He now holds positions with the World Economic Forum and in academia.
Source:Taiwan News