Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit sparks online clash between Milk Tea Alliance and Chinese nationalists
- Feud breaks out between youth from Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong as pro-Beijing users accuse US of violating China’s sovereignty
- Things escalated after the Chinese embassy in Bangkok called on the Thai government to support ‘China’s effort to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity’
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s meeting with leaders in Taipei has triggered a social media clash of words between Thai members of the pro-democracy Milk Tea Alliance and Chinese nationalists on Wednesday.
Pelosi, the first leader of the US House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997, met President Tsai Ing-wen and representatives from the island’s legislature.
In retaliation, China announced live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, summoned the US ambassador in Beijing and halted several agricultural imports from Taipei. China regards the self-ruled island as a breakaway province and has vowed to take it back by force, if necessary.
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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan as Beijing announces live-fire military drills
While Pelosi’s trip set off US-China diplomatic fireworks, Milk Tea Alliance members in Thailand shrugged off Beijing’s warnings and engaged in an online duel with Chinese nationalists.
Milk Tea Alliance is a social media-driven, pro-democracy youth movement in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The name was coined because of their shared passion for the sweet drink.
Some pro-Beijing users on Twitter accused the US of violating the sovereignty of other countries and described the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai as a “country”.
The social media feud escalated after the Chinese embassy in Bangkok in a statement called on the Thai government to support “China’s effort to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity” as well as its “great mission of reunification”.