Even as Nancy Pelosi vowed not to back down on the Taiwan visit, China has warned that it will react forcefully if the US House Speaker goes ahead with her visit to the self-governed island democracy. China claims Taiwan as its territory.
Nancy Pelosi is 2nd in line for the presidency and is the highest-ranking American politician visiting Taiwan since 1997. The Chinese government has vowed to take resolute and robust methods if she moves ahead. Analysts warn that the move would cause strong tension in the Taiwan Strait, which is considered a potential flash point in Asia.
Nancy Pelosi Staunch Critic Of Chinese Policy In Taiwan
Nancy Pelosi has always been a steadfast opponent of China and its policies throughout her 3 decades in Washington politics. She once even unfurled a banner depicting the people massacred in Tiananmen Square by the totalitarian regime in 1989. Pelosi also strongly supported the pro-democracy protests that erupted in 2019, which has led her to be singled out by Beijing for attacks.
Taiwan is one of the few issues that has strong bipartisan backing in the present Congress. Nancy Pelosi last week came out in vocal support of the tiny nation saying that it was vital that the US shows its support for the island nation.
President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan has defied threats from Beijing. The Taiwanese administration has vowed to continue with its core values of liberal and democratic policies, something that remains close to Pelosi’s heart.
China is considering resolute and strong measures to prevent Nancy Pelosi from visiting the island, which includes enforcing a no-fly zone around the island.
Now with the political escalation on the issue, any backtracking by the US administration will invite criticism of caving into Chinese threats. Politicians across the spectrum have warned that Beijing should not be allowed to have a say in who visits Taiwan.
