How Chinese Cartoonists Mocked Nancy Pelosi Over Taiwan Visit

Chinese media outlets have mocked U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan with a series of unflattering cartoons.

Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island last week sparked a furor from China, with Beijing announcing on Monday that it was extending its military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. China has also cut off defense and climate talks with the U.S. and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for the visit.

Taiwan has maintained a separate government from China since 1949, but China says the island is its territory and has not ruled out using military force to bring it under its control.

The U.S. doesn't recognize Taiwan as independent under its "one China" policy but has pledged to help the island protect itself against any aggression. Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials to be a recognition of the island's sovereignty.

Several cartoons published by Chinese state media in recent days slammed Pelosi's visit.

One cartoon published by the Xinhua News Agency showed a caricature of Pelosi with six arms emerging from her hair, indicating the "six sins" she committed by visiting Taiwan. These included meddling in China's internal affairs, undermining peace and reneging on past commitments.

Another cartoon, from T-House, portrayed Pelosi as a witch allowing Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to drink from a bubbling cauldron with "Taiwan Independence" on it while pouring out the liquid from her own glass.

The Global Times, a state-owned newspaper, published a cartoon of Pelosi carrying sticks of dynamite as Tsai rolls out a red carpet along a cliff. "This way, your excellency!" Tsai says in the cartoon.

Another Global Times cartoon shows Pelosi parachuting onto the island wearing a vest of explosives, with her finger placed on the trigger.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in France tweeted a cartoon by Wuheqilin, a Chinese artist and propagandist.

The image shows a figure suggestive of the Virgin Mary attempting to snatch a baby from a crib while a man holding a hammer approaches. "No one likes war, but no father would ever allow someone to steal his child," a caption says.

The woman's face resembles Pelosi, and the embassy added the hashtags: #Taiwan and #PelosiVisit.

Several cartoons mocking Pelosi's visit to Taiwan were also being circulated on Chinese social media platforms, according to a tweet from Kerry Allen, a Chinese media analyst for the BBC.

At a joint press conference with Tsai, Pelosi said visits to Taiwan by male members of Congress have not sparked the same reaction from China.

"I think that they made a big fuss because I'm speaker, I guess. I don't know if that was a reason or an excuse, because they didn't say anything when the men came," she said.

Newsweek contacted Pelosi's office for further comment.