The Washington Post reported Saturday that Biden administration officials increasingly fear that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to Taiwan next month risks sparking a major crisis across the Taiwan Strait.
Media reports said last week that Pelosi plans to make the trip in August, prompting strong warnings from China. Beijing would view the visit as a major provocation since Pelosi is a high-level official in the US government and it would signal that Washington was moving away from the one-China policy.
Administration officials told the Post that China would view the visit as a purposeful provocation. One administration official said that military and intelligence officials have “tried to explain the risks associated with the timing of her proposed trip.” But the official said that it’s ultimately her decision.
President Biden said last week that the military doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Pelosi to visit the island. In comments to reporters, Pelosi declined to confirm if she was going to make the trip citing security risks, and claimed that Biden hasn’t warned her against the move.
It’s hard to believe that Biden couldn’t pressure Pelosi not to make the trip since they’re so closely aligned, but that’s the impression administration officials are trying to make. They told the Post that it’s unlikely China would understand that Biden can’t order Pelosi not to go.
A Chinese official made it clear in comments to the Post that Beijing thinks Biden has the power to stop the trip. “The US side has the ability to stop these clowns from performing in Taiwan,” the official said. “Over and over, it chooses not to.”
The Financial Times reported Saturday that China had issued stark private warnings to the Biden administration about Pelosi’s trip. The report said the warnings were significantly stronger than the threats that Beijing has made in the past. Congressional delegations to Taiwan have increased in recent years, and Beijing typically responds by conducting military exercises near Taiwan.
But the stepped-up warning’s over Pelosi’s plans signal that China could take stronger measures than usual. The last major Taiwan Strait crisis, known as the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, took place in 1995-1996 and was sparked by the US giving a visa to former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui. China responded by launching a series of missile tests near Taiwan.
The Post report said that some in the administration fear China could respond to Pelosi’s trip by flying a warplane over Taiwan, which would be an unprecedented step.
In recent years, the US has stepped up its military activity in sensitive areas near China and now sails a warship through the Taiwan Strait about once a month. The US Navy destroyer USS Benfold made the provocative passage last week after challenging Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea by sailing within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-controlled islands.
Hmm, I’m betting the Administration is slavering and rubbing its hands over the prospect of Pelosi, the aging, famously ice-cream loving Queen of the House, pontificating in Taipei. They get to egg China on at no apparent cost to “themselves.” Nancy thinks she looks important, well-coutured, and well-preserved. Well, yes, she should care about California — in particular all those fabulous companies her husband trades in — many with critical ties to semiconductor companies in Taiwan.
The optics, two cocks mock taunting over a superannuated flirt, are the stock comedy of nursing homes.
Biden could have fun smelling her hair if they’re in the same nursing home!
More like pickled than well-preserved.
She’d be flying in a US military plane.
It won’t fly if the President says, “No.”
China knows that.
And, possibly a carrier group to escort here. But, I think the plane will leave the ships behind, won’t it? Beyond belief!
“Officials say China would view Pelosi’s trip as a purposeful provocation”
Which would rank where on our very very long list of provocations? And aren’t all provocations purposeful?
One word from China and the US chickened out, again. Just like they did in Afghanistan and North Korea after trump threatened to send carriers. Says a lot about the schoolyard bully these days….
Going to the prime chip maker to make another deal for her husband. Taiwan Semi Conductor!
IS THIS A PROVOCATION FOR WAR OR WHAT??
US considers deploying carriers to support House speaker’s Taiwan trip – Washington Post. The US military is considering “moving aircraft carriers or sending fighter planes for close air support” as part of a potential trip by US house speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the Washington Post reported Saturday.
READ MORE AT: wsws.org
No problem when McCain, Graham and Leiberman went to Ukraine over and over again to foster and monetarily support neo-Nazis who were well stocked and armed with US money. That grandstanding was encouraged. The assault these fascists launched on eastern Ukraine from 2014 onward led to the Russian special military operation.
According to all these brilliant politicians, China must be learning from the situation in Ukraine. Lets see…
Ukraine: 234,000 sq. mi. and 44 million population.
Taiwan: 14,000 sq mi and 20 Million population
China: 1,500 million
With 10x Ukraine’s population, every bomb the Chinese drop will kill 10x more Taiwanese than Ukrainians.
If China wanted to invade Taiwan, they would have done it long ago. An invasion with overwhelming force would be over before we had time to react.
China does not want to invade because they are interested in trade. We are trying to provoke them in order to weaken them in their world standing.
“The Financial Times reported Saturday that China had issued stark private warnings to the Biden administration about Pelosi’s trip. The report said the warnings were significantly stronger than the threats that Beijing has made in the past.”
Let’s please heed the stark warnings. This trip does nothing except to try to increase tensions to a dangerous level. Pelosi needs to get out of her wine country bubble and actually talk to her constituents in San Francisco…who do not want a war with China by a huge margin.