US House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s rumoured-plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this?
China has warned of “serious consequences” if Mrs. Pelosi proceeds with her visit. Second in line to the Presidency, Mrs. Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US politician to travel to the island since 1997. This rankles China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing is yet to rule out the possible use of force to achieve this. Even the Biden administration has reportedly tried to dissuade the California Democrat from going.
Last week, President Joe Biden told reporters that “the military thinks it’s not a good idea”, but his White House called Chinese rhetoric against any such trip “clearly unhelpful and not necessary”. But the State Department disclosed that Mrs. Pelosi has not announced any travel and the US approach to Taiwan remains unchanged.
While the US maintained what is called a “robust, unofficial relationship” with Taiwan, it has formal diplomatic ties with China and not Taiwan. Mrs. Pelosi’s trip, if it is to happen, also come amid increased tensions between Washington and Beijing, and ahead of a much-anticipated phone call between US President, Joe Biden, and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.
Why Pelosi Wants to Visit Taiwan?
Report circulating suggests that there is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress, as well as a congressional career spanning 35 years, that Speaker Pelosi has been a vocal critic of China.
She has denounced its human rights record, met with pro-democracy dissidents, and also visited Tiananmen Square (a city square in the city centre of Beijing) to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.
Mrs. Pelosi’s original plan was to visit Taiwan in April 2022, but it was postponed after she tested positive for COVID-19. She declined to discuss details of the trip, but said last week that it is “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.
Why does China oppose the visit?
Beijing views Taiwan as its territory, and has repeatedly raised the spectre of annexing it by force if necessary. Chinese officials expressed anger over what they viewed as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) and Washington. This included a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April 2022.
On Monday, July 25, 2022, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Zhao Lijian, warned that his country would take “firm and resolute measures” if Mrs. Pelosi goes ahead with her visit. He said “And the US will be responsible for all of the serious consequences”.
A Spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, Colonel Tan Kefei, seemed to suggest that there could even be a military response. “If the US side insists on going ahead, the Chinese military will never sit idle and will take strong measures to thwart any external interference and separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan independence,” Tan Kefei told a China-based media firm.
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