Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 12th District) and Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US, is in the Asia Pacific region on a goodwill trip..Her itinerary, although not officially released, is said to include stops in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and perhaps Malaysia..And, just possibly, Taiwan..Pelosi poked the dragon when it was leaked she mentioned a potential stopover in Taiwan..If she does, she would be the top official US visitor to the island since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich went in 1997, and the Chinese Communist Party has made it clear such a visit would not be well-received in Beijing..China claims Taiwan as its own, calling it a breakaway province, while the island nation recognizes itself as an independent democracy. It was to Taiwan that Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled in 1949 when the communists took over mainland China..The US does not have an official diplomatic relåationship, but is bound to protect Taiwan from a Communist Chinese incursion through defence treaties..How annoyed are the Chinese?.A Chinese government propagandist said Friday Beijing could shoot down Pelosi’s plane if it’s accompanied by US military aircraft during the rumoured visit to Taiwan, further escalating tensions between the US and China..“If US fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan, it is [an] invasion,” tweeted Hu Xijin, a columnist for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled Global Times. “The [People’s Liberation Army] has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi’s plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction.”.“If ineffective, then shoot them down.”.The tweet has subsequently been removed..President Biden spoke via a zoom call with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday. A full readout of the conversation has not yet been released, but speculation is it included fentanyl smuggling from China through Mexico, the origins of COVID-19 as well as the possibility of Biden rolling back tariffs introduced by President Trump on Chinese goods..It is known the two men had a discussion about Taiwan..Reuters reports Xi Jinping warned against playing with fire over Taiwan in the call. ."Those who play with fire will perish by it," China's foreign ministry quoted Xi as telling Biden in their fifth call as leaders. "It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this.".The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, refused to talk about Pelosi’s plans..“We’re just not going to speak on her schedule,” Jean-Pierre said. “As we have said multiple times, we give advice and guidance to any members of Congress where they travel — to the region they travel — advice on [the] geopolitical situation in the region or in the country, and any national security issues that may arise, but again, I’m not going to speak to a hypothetical.”.A report from CNN says the Biden administration has told Pelosi there are risks to visiting Taiwan and are working to convince her not to go..“The President let slip last week that the US military was opposed to Pelosi visiting Taiwan now, but the White House has refused to expand on his comments. Even Pelosi said during a news conference last week that she wasn’t sure precisely what Biden meant,” said CNN..To go, or no?.Should Pelosi not go to Taiwan, it will be viewed as the US bending to Communist China’s will..She is getting a lot of high-level encouragement to go.Republicans led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, say not going would hand China “a victory of sorts” if she backs down. McConnell’s wife, Trump administration Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, was born in Taiwan..Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich called on Pelosi to lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan..“Nancy Pelosi must go to Taiwan in August,” said Gingrich in an article posted on his website Gingrich 360. He added that doing so would “would be a powerful signal to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping that he should drop any plans to invade or intimidate Taiwan.”.Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted “Nancy, I’ll go with you. I’m banned in China, but not freedom-loving Taiwan. See you there!”.Other members of Congress in both parties are encouraging Pelosi to make the stop in Taiwan, saying that avoiding the island following China’s protestations would amount to acquiescing to Beijing..The whole affair (possibly) puts Pelosi between a rock and a rocket.
