TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn tweeted in perfect Mandarin shortly after arrival in Taiwan warning China against bullying America's allies.
At 12:44 a.m. on Thursday (Aug. 25), almost exactly an hour after landing at Songshan Airport in Taiwan, Blackburn posted a tweet showing photos of her meeting with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official on the tarmac. She then posted a message in flawless traditional Chinese characters used in Taiwan and directed at the Chinese Communist Party.
The Mandarin message, which was quickly followed by an English version, read as follows:
"I just arrived in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing - We will not accept bullying. The U.S. will firmly uphold freedom around the world and will not tolerate acts that harm our country and our allies."
Within 12 hours, the tweet gained 14,600 likes, 2,462 retweets, and 313 quote tweets. A comment by American Najee Woods, who goes by the English online handle "Formosa Afro" and the Chinese name Ah Chung Tsai (阿忠仔), received the most likes for his response in Mandarin, in which he warmly welcomed the senator to the "democratic country of Taiwan."
At nearly 5 a.m., Blackburn tweeted that Taiwan is showing strength and courage, and the "Chinese Communist Party envies this." Thirty minutes later, she vowed that she will "never kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party."
At around 8 a.m., the senator from the Volunteer State posted a tweet in which she vowed to continue to stand with the Taiwanese and their "right to freedom and democracy." She then added "Xi Jinping doesn't scare me."
Two hours later, Blackburn tweeted a video of her thanking President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for her strong leadership in "standing up to the Chinese Communist Party." She pledged U.S. support for Taiwan and "its freedom-loving people."
我剛抵達台灣是為了要向北京傳達一個訊息-我們不會接受霸凌
美國將堅定維護全球的自由，不會容忍傷害我們國家及盟友的行徑 pic.twitter.com/BkDo6eQDJJ
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 25, 2022
Taiwan is demonstrating strength and courage, and the Chinese Communist Party envies this.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 25, 2022
I will never kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 25, 2022
I will continue to stand with the Taiwans and their right to freedom and democracy.
Xi Jinping doesn’t scare me.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 25, 2022
Thank you, @iingwen, for your strong leadership in standing up against the Chinese Communist Party.
The United States supports Taiwan and its freedom-loving people. pic.twitter.com/hNGADUk1ZJ
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 26, 2022
