US Officials Expect House Speaker Nancy Pelosi To Visit Taiwan Despite Angry Military Threats From China

Senior Taiwanese government officials and US officials have confirmed that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia. This is in spite of concerns from Biden administration officials who are concerned about China's reaction to such a high-profile visit.

The visit, which is the first for a US House speaker in 25 years, is not on Pelosi's current public agenda and occurs at a time when ties between the US and China are already at an all-time low. The Taiwanese official noted that she is anticipated to spend the night in Taiwan. When exactly Pelosi will arrive in Taipei is unknown.

Pelosi Heads to Taiwan

The US official also stated that personnel from the Defense Department continuously observe any Chinese moves in the area and develop a strategy to protect her.

One of the most problematic issues is still Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as part of its borders. As tensions between Washington and Beijing increased, President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had a lengthy conversation over the phone on Thursday for two hours and 17 minutes.

Biden stated last month that the US military warned against Pelosi visiting Taiwan, but he has since declined to provide any clarification. The House Speaker decides where she travels, and the White House has stated that they have little influence over her decisions, CNN reported.

Representatives for Pelosi have consistently declined requests to discuss travel to Taiwan. Taiwan and China were not mentioned in her Sunday statement about her trip to Asia. Other locations, including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, were listed.

Taiwan has been independent for many years, but Beijing has always asserted that it is a part of China. China has been waging a protracted effort to persuade other nations not to recognize Taiwan diplomatically and has recently increased its military activity in the area.

House Speaker Has a History of Angering China

According to military strategists, China may eventually attack and occupy the island in masse. Strategic ambiguity refers to the US's non-recognition of Taiwan's independence and its provision of military assistance to Taiwan in order to deter Chinese aggression.

US officials warned last week that the Department of Defense was ready to send fighter aircraft and warships to defend Pelosi on her Asia trip. President Joe Biden said last month that US military authorities thought a Pelosi trip to Taiwan was "not a good idea."

According to a US official, Pentagon officials were keeping an eye on Chinese activity nearby and working to keep her safe. It "wouldn't be appropriate," a spokeswoman told Insider last week, to comment on congressional travel arrangements.

Pelosi has already angered China by hosting meetings with dissidents who support democracy and the Dalai Lama. To honor the victims of the 1989 tragedy, she also hung a banner at Tiananmen Square in 1991 that said, "to those who died for democracy."

Per Daily Mail, Pelosi would use "emergency excuses like an aircraft problem or refueling," to land at a Taiwanese airport. A visit would significantly threaten the Taiwan Strait's peace and stability, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Monday.