Pelosi Will Reportedly Visit Taiwan Despite China’s Warnings Of Retaliation

Breaking Business Pelosi Will Reportedly Visit Taiwan Despite China’s Warnings Of Retaliation Siladitya Ray Forbes Staff Covering breaking news and tech policy stories at Forbes. New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Aug 1, 2022, 09:09am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan as part of her ongoing tour of Asia, CNN reported on Monday, in a move that could spark major tensions with China which has already warned of “serious consequences” for what it views as meddling in its internal affairs.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. , arrives for her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on . .

. [+] Friday. The Washington Post via Getty Images Key Facts The exact timing of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is unclear but she is expected to stay in the capital Taipei for at least one night, CNN reported citing an unnamed senior Taiwanese government official and a U.

S. official. The top House Democrat is leading a U.

S. congressional delegation on a visit to Asia and she began her tour on Monday in Singapore. If Pelosi goes through with the reported visit to Taiwan it would be the most high-profile visit to the island by a U.

S. official since the 1997 visit by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian warned China’s military will not “sit idly by” if Pelosi goes through with the visit and it would lead to “very serious developments and consequences.

” According to CNN, the Pentagon is monitoring all Chinese military movements in the region to ensure Pelosi and her delegation’s safety. Pelosi’s official itinerary for the Asia tour includes planned visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan but makes no mention of Taiwan. Tangent In a speculative article , the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times —known for its controversial takes—suggested that Pelosi’s delegation could use aircraft troubles as an “excuse” to carry out an emergency landing in Taiwan.

The speculative write-up further notes that if Pelosi’s plane actually does develop issues, the Chinese Air Force has aircraft ready to redirect the delegation to land in the city of Sansha—located on one of the many disputed island chains in the South China Sea. What We Don’t Know Despite Beijing’s threats, it is unclear what retaliatory measures it will take if Pelosi ends up visiting Taiwan. A Beijing-based international relations professor told Reuters that either side is unlikely to carry out any action that could spiral into a larger conflict.

However, controversial Chinese journalist Hu Xijin, who previously served as the editor-in-chief of Global Times warned on Twitter that Beijing is prepared to shoot down U. S. aircraft entering Taiwanese airspace as this would be viewed as an invasion.

Hu has since deleted the tweet after his account was briefly locked. Key Background Last week, President Joe Biden spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a phone call where he reiterated that the U. S.

’s position on Taiwan has not changed and it does not support independence for the island that China claims as a part of its territory. However, Biden reiterated that he was opposed to any effort by Beijing to unilaterally “change the status quo. ” In its own readout, Beijing mentioned Taiwan and warned “those who play with fire will perish by it.

Last month, Biden said the U. S. military was opposed to Pelosi visiting Taiwan but the plan has received strong support from several Republican leaders.

Despite their reported reticence about her visit, defense officials told the Associated Press that any such flight into Taiwan will receive “overlapping rings of protection” from U. S. military assets including fighter jets, ships and other systems.

Crucial Quote Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang did not confirm Pelosi’s visit when asked by reporters on Monday, only saying “We always warmly welcome visits to our country by distinguished foreign guests. ” Further Reading Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials say (CNN) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip .

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