Photo Credit: Famer Rohen/Malaysian Department of Information
The trip to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi was last-minute. On a Tuesday night, when the island nation’s usual morning crowds and bustle were inactive, the House Speaker’s aircraft touched down at Taipei Songshan Airport. However, Pelosi’s arrival in the nation was significant for the country.
Pelosi’s pink jumpsuit, which she wore while addressing Taiwanese dignitaries and the media as she walked through the airport, stands out among the sea of monotonous outfits. Although Pelosi’s trip has been viewed primarily from a policy standpoint, her attire represents more than just her announced goals for visiting Taiwan.
Pelosi made her statement in which she declared that the US would support Taiwan in its efforts to become economically prosperous and open up to the world market. But more than that, her pink outfit is a political form of communication.
In the time between her flight, Pelosi didn’t alter her outfit. In actuality, the House Speaker wore the exact same attire when she visited Malaysia prior to Taiwan. Her suit is paired with the typical heels and pearls worn by US politicians.
While traveling to Taiwan, Pelosi had the option of changing her outfit, but she chose not to. This simply suggests that Pelosi wanted to convey a message by retaining the pink outfit.
Although the suit was powerful and exuded confidence, no threats were induced by it. Instead, it appeared that the speaker’s decision to wear pink in front of Taiwanese diplomats was a show of friendship rather than a protest against China, which has since charged the speaker with intentionally visiting to increase tension between the two countries.
Read Also: Taiwan Lauds US for Second Visit to Island Nation, China Not Happy With the Move
A strong woman mirroring another strong woman
Through her choice of clothing, many have begun to speculate that Pelosi may have wished to emulate Hillary Clinton, a woman who served as an inspiration to many Americans.
In 1995, while attending the Fourth World Conference on Women hosted by the UN in Beijing, Clinton chose a pink outfit. The then-first lady made an assertion that has become ingrained in the fabric of many societies all over the world: “Women’s rights are human rights.”
According to Clinton, the cycle of violence and prejudice should be broken, who later condemned countries, including China, for their threats against women. This form of protesting China is somewhat akin to what Pelosi did when she enraged China following her trip to Taiwan.
China omitted the speech Clinton gave. Pelosi, wearing the same pink outfit, appears to be reminding China that women are capable of standing up to a superpower.
Read Also: Pelosi’s Visit Garners Reactions from China, Taiwan, Experts say a ‘Big Mistake’
Pelosi and her love for pink accessories
On numerous occasions, the senior US official was spotted wearing pink attire. She donned a pink suit for a “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” interview, pink pumps for a photo with the chairs of the House committees, and a Fuschia dress for the 166th inauguration of Congress, among other outfits. Pelosi also appears wearing a pink blazer in photos posted to her Twitter account.
Pelosi, like many other political women, rarely replies to inquiries about her attire. However, we can be certain that the House Speaker values the message that clothing conveys to the public, including the color choice.
Pelosi clearly exudes feminine power whenever she dons pink. This spirit is also demonstrated by a number of women in the political sphere, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who applied red lipstick as ‘war paint’ and wore all-white suits to celebrate becoming the nation’s first female vice president, respectively.
The deputy speaker of the Taiwanese legislature, Tsai Chi-chang, wore a pink tie when he met with Pelosi the morning after her arrival. This may be because the public, as well as politicians, place a great deal of value on clothing choices.
Pelosi chose a color that represents feminine power because clothing has symbolism, which worked to help her message get across.
Source: CNN
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