China’s military ‘will not stand idly by’ if Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan | China

Amidst the growing hostile threats from China, the media is reporting that Nancy Pelosi She will go ahead with a visit to Taiwan despite the Biden administration’s efforts to warn her against stopping.

Tingting Liu, foreign affairs correspondent for Taiwan’s TVBS news channel, mentioned Sources had told her that Pelosi would arrive in the capital, Taipei, on Tuesday evening. CNN I also mentioned The visit is expected to continue, citing a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official.

The Taiwan government has not publicly commented on the reports.

If Pelosi includes Taiwan on her Asian tour, it will be the first visit of a US House speaker in a quarter of a century. Beijing, which claims the autonomous island as its own territory, has made it clear that it will see such a move as an unacceptable provocation.

China on Monday stepped up its warning, saying its military “will not stand idly by” if the visit takes place.

The US official told CNN that in the face of this warning, the Pentagon was “working around the clock” to monitor any Chinese movements in the region.

Pelosi’s potential visit at a time of rising tension with China is a fraught issue for both the United States and China. As Speaker of the House, she is the third in the presidency after Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

From a Chinese perspective, a lawmaker’s visit that is constitutionally closely tied to the presidency increases dissent. China’s spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said that because of Pelosi’s status as the “third official in the US government,” a visit to Taiwan would “result in terrible political influence.”

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the world’s largest army, on Monday celebrated the 95th anniversary of its founding.

A potential Taiwan stop on Pelosi’s tour has not yet been included in her public schedule. If she continues to visit, it will be the first for a US House speaker since Newt Gingrich traveled there. 1997. Beijing protested the flight but eventually swallowed its anger.

Officially, Pelosi will only visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan on this trip. But Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Democrat Anna Esho, told US media last week that Pelosi had invited them to Taiwan. Both refused due to a scheduling conflict.

Pelosi’s trip comes at a time of great geopolitical uncertainty in the region. On Monday, she and a six-member Congress delegation held talks with Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong. An official statement from Lee’s office said the Singaporean leader “highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security.”

In the run-up to the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Monday, the Chinese military conducted “live-fire exercises” near the Pingtan Islands off Fujian Province, according to the official Xinhua News Agency on Saturday. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

Since reports of Pelosi’s possible trip to Taiwan surfaced two weeks ago, Beijing’s state media have intensified their criticism of US policy on Taiwan. In the past few days, Chinese diplomats also reiterated China’s position, emphasizing Beijing’s “one China principle” on social media.

George Yin, a distinguished fellow at the Center for China Studies at National Taiwan University in Taipei, said the United States faces a strategic dilemma when it comes to stabilizing the Taiwan Strait.

On the one hand, the United States needs to signal its support for Taiwan, especially since China often portrays the United States as a paper tiger with no intention of providing assistance to Taiwan, Yin said.

On the other hand, the United States needs to reassure China that it remains committed to the one-China principle. Pelosi’s expected visit demonstrates how difficult it is to strike a good strategic balance.”