US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan?China’s tough warning ‘will not sit idly by’ – BBC News

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had not received information about the visit.

The British “Financial Times” also quoted six people familiar with the matter as saying that the warning issued by Beijing this time was significantly stronger than previous warnings issued by China when it was dissatisfied with the actions of the United States or its policy toward Taiwan.

The report quoted a person as saying that China has privately expressed stronger opposition to the United States than ever before. China’s private rhetoric goes even further, suggesting a possible military response, several other people familiar with the matter said.

Beijing did not elaborate on what its possible response would be, but the PLA could try to prevent Pelosi’s plane from landing in Taiwan, or take other actions to prevent her from visiting Taiwan, such as sending fighter jets to intercept a U.S. military plane carrying her, the report said.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg in the United States, China may respond in the following ways: a larger-scale invasion of fighter jets, allowing fighter jets to fly over the centerline of the Taiwan Strait, missile exercises close to Taiwan, and military aircraft flying over Taiwan.

Taiwan has strong bipartisan support in the American public and in the US Congress.

During her 25-year career in Congress, Pelosi has been an outspoken critic of China. She has denounced China’s human rights record, met with pro-democracy Chinese dissidents, and visited Tiananmen Square to honor the victims of China’s 1989 “Tiananmen Incident.”

Pelosi was due to visit Taiwan in April, but her visit was suspended after she tested positive for the coronavirus.

She declined to discuss the details of the trip, but said last week that “showing support for Taiwan is important to us.”

After the media disclosed the news of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Chinese officials made strong responses several times.

On Tuesday (July 26), Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said that China requires the United States to take concrete actions to fulfill its commitment not to support “Taiwan independence” and not to arrange for Pelosi to visit Taiwan. “If the U.S. goes its own way, the Chinese military will never sit idly by, and will take strong measures to thwart any external interference and separatist attempts for ‘Taiwan independence’, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“As the ‘number three’ of the US government, if Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it will seriously violate the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques, seriously endanger China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations. It will inevitably cause extremely serious damage to the relationship between the two countries and the two militaries, and lead to further escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait.” Tan Kefei said.

On Monday (25th), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “We are ready to fight. If the United States insists on going its own way, China will take firm and powerful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States should be responsible for all serious consequences.”

In terms of domestic public opinion in China, Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the official media “Global Times” suggested that once Pelosi visits Taiwan, the PLA fighter jets can choose to “accompany” Pelosi’s special plane at an appropriate distance, enter Taiwan Island at the same time, and pass by. It landed over the airport and then crossed Taiwan Island to return to the mainland.

“Once the PLA fighter jets fly into and cross the island of Taiwan, it will be a more landmark precedent than Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. In that case, we should probably instead thank Pelosi for creating the opportunity for the PLA fighter jets to fly over the island of Taiwan. , which has opened up a new space for the PLA’s fighter jets to exercise sovereignty over the island of Taiwan.” Hu Xijin said.

“The military doesn’t think it’s a good idea right now, but I don’t know what the status quo is,” U.S. President Joe Biden said last week when asked about Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Biden also said on Monday that he was looking forward to a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week.

In addition, several politicians in the United States supported Pelosi’s visit, saying that China cannot interfere in the actions of the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich led a delegation to visit Taiwan in 1997. He tweeted that Pelosi should of course lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan, saying, “Communist ruled China cannot dictate the Speaker’s travels!”

Former US Secretary of State Pompeo told Pelosi on Twitter that he was willing to go to Taiwan with Pelosi, “I was banned from entering China, but not in freedom-loving Taiwan, see you then!”

U.S. Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick also called out Pelosi on Twitter, hoping she would not cringe at the CCP’s bullying. “If you cancel your trip, you will further show weakness on the international stage, and it will be in the hands of China, and the United States must face the CCP bravely.”

By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC’s Taipei correspondent

If you are a small island nation with few allies, unrecognized by the United Nations, and threatened with invasion by a larger and more powerful neighbor, a visit by America’s No. 3 statesman should be something you would welcome. Is it right?

This is why the Taiwanese government does not want U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stay away from Taiwan.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has long called for higher-level interactions with the United States. But there are also concerns about why Pelosi is coming now and whether her trip is doing more harm than good.

U.S. President Joe Biden said three times last year that the U.S. would step in to support Taiwan if China invaded, but his aides backtracked on his remarks, insisting that U.S. policy had not changed.

When news of Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan was leaked, President Biden’s response was not to be supportive, but to say, “The Defense Department doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”

In Beijing, this looks like a weakness. In Taipei, it looks chaotic. What is the US government’s policy towards Taiwan?

Pelosi, now 82, is expected to retire in the fall. Is she giving real support with clear intent, or is this a political show? Everything is unclear.