House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be stirring up trouble with her pending visit to Taiwan.
Since the announcement that Pelosi might be planning a trip to the island, Chinese government officials as well as Chinese state media have been spouting warnings about the US stance regarding the Taiwan issue.
The Chinese have been threatening for decades, but those ‘in the know’ in Peking and Washington worry that tensions are escalating.
“It’s a tough call for the administration,” said Michael Green, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“If they pressure Pelosi to back down, they will invite greater Chinese threats and pressure in the future and increase the odds of a crisis again down the road,” Green said. However, he added, “if they support her going, they risk escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. They’ve got to find an elegant resolution.”
The controversy over whether Pelosi should go or not is creating a dilemma for both the US and China, who disagree on the fate of Taiwan, a country of 24 million people, who have a self-ruling democracy. The Chinese government says Taiwan is part of China. Washington recognizes Beijing as the official government of China, but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and has promised to provide it with defensive weapons.
Chinese president Xi Jinping has not ruled out using force to reunify Taiwan with China. China has been increasing its military activity presence around Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, where there could be a conflict with US warships that use the waterway.
Recently, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “Should the US side insist on making the visit, China will act strongly to resolutely respond to it and take countermeasures,” strong words indicating the Chinese government sees the Speaker’s visit to Taiwan as an aggressive move.
Hu Xijin, a retired editor of the state-backed newspaper Global Times, shockingly said, “If the US can’t restrain her, let China restrain her & punish her,” he wrote on Twitter. “[The Chinese] Air Force will surely make her visit a disgrace to herself and to the U.S.”
Them’s fightin’ words.
The Taiwan trip has not been confirmed by Pelosi’s office, as they weigh the security issues for the Speaker. She was supposed to go in April but the trip was postponed when she tested positive for COVID-19.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are encouraging Pelosi to go.
President Biden and President Xi are planning a telephone call, the first in four months. It is expected they will discuss Taiwan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and competition between the US and China.
