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China could make show of force if Pelosi visits Taiwan - US China-Taiwan: Tensions spike ahead of Pelosi's expected visit
(about 2 hours later)
The US government has not officially confirmed that Nancy Pelosi will visit TaiwanThe US government has not officially confirmed that Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan
The White House has warned China may respond to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's expected visit to Taiwan with military provocations. Taiwan is bracing for a potential show of force from China as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was expected to arrive on the island late Tuesday.
This could include firing missiles near Taiwan, or large-scale air or naval activities, spokesman John Kirby said. Her visit - which is not backed by the White House - would be the first by such a senior US official in decades.
Mrs Pelosi touched down in Malaysia on Tuesday on her tour of Asia. Pelosi is the third-highest ranking official in the US government and a long-time critic of Beijing.
Taiwanese and US media says she plans to visit Taipei on Tuesday night, but there has been no official confirmation. China has repeatedly warned against the visit and on Tuesday said the US would "pay the price".
Taiwan is a self-ruled island, but claimed by China, which sees it as a breakaway province. Beijing has warned of "serious consequences" if Mrs Pelosi visits. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had been in communication with the US about sensitivity of the visit.
While the US maintains what it calls a "robust, unofficial relationship" with Taiwan, it has formal diplomatic relations with China and not Taiwan. "The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests," she said.
Responding to reporter questions on Tuesday, Taiwan's premier Su Tseng-chang said the island "warmly welcomes" any foreign guests. On Tuesday China sent warplanes up to the median line, the informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
He added Taiwan "would make the most appropriate arrangements" for any visitors. Its forces have also been holding live fire drills and the Chinese military's eastern command posted a video online saying it was "fully prepared for any eventuality".
The visit has created a diplomatic headache for the White House. President Joe Biden has said the US military believes a Pelosi visit to Taiwan is "not a good idea right now". Taiwan's defence ministry said it had a full grasp of military activities near the island and was determined to defend itself against any Chinese threats.
On Monday National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Mrs Pelosi "has the right to visit Taiwan" and "makes her own decisions", adding that the White House respects the US Congress's independence. Taiwan is a self-ruled island, but claimed by China, which sees it as a breakaway province.
As House Speaker, Mrs Pelosi is second in line for the presidency after the vice-president. The US has formal diplomatic relations with China and not Taiwan but maintains what it calls a "robust, unofficial relationship" with the island.
On Tuesday, China's foreign ministry said it had been in communication with the US regarding the high-ranking visit, expressing hopes Washington could be clear on the gravity and sensitivity of this matter. Earlier in the week Mr Kirby told reporters China could respond with military provocations - including firing missiles near Taiwan, launching large-scale air or naval activities or making "spurious legal claims" to justify a naval blockade of the Taiwan Strait.
Meanwhile Taiwan's defence ministry said it had a full grasp of military activities near the island and was determined to defend itself against any Chinese threats. China and Taiwan: A really simple guide
Nancy Pelosi's long history of opposing BeijingNancy Pelosi's long history of opposing Beijing
What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?
There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress. And Mrs Pelosi, a senior figure in the Democratic Party, has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has previously met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre. Mrs Pelosi embarked on her tour of Asia on Sunday without mention of Taiwan on her itinerary. She has so far visited Singapore and Malaysia, and also has stops in South Korea and Japan scheduled.
The speaker began her Asia tour on Sunday by flying to Singapore. Her public itinerary also included stops in Malaysia, South Korea and Japan - but did not mention Taiwan. However she is widely reported in Taiwanese and US media to be planning to land in Taipei late on Tuesday evening and hold meetings with Taiwan's leaders on Wednesday.
Mrs Pelosi originally planned to visit Taiwan in April, but postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19. On Tuesday Taiwan's premier Su Tseng-chang said the island "warmly welcomes" any foreign guests and "would make the most appropriate arrangements" for any visitors.
Earlier this month she said it was "important for us to show support for Taiwan". The visit has created a diplomatic headache for the White House. President Joe Biden last week said the US military believes a Pelosi visit to Taiwan is "not a good idea right now".
Mr Kirby said China's escalations could also include making "spurious legal claims" in the days to come, for example by claiming that the Taiwan Strait is not an international waterway. On Monday National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Mrs Pelosi "has the right to visit Taiwan" and "makes her own decisions", adding that the White House respects the US Congress's independence.
He said other signs indicate that Beijing may send flights towards the island, as part of a planned incursion into Taiwan's airspace. There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress.
And Mrs Pelosi, a senior figure in the Democratic Party, has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has previously met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.
She originally planned to visit Taiwan in April, but postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier this month she said it was "important for us to show support for Taiwan".
Mr Kirby pointed out that Republican former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich had visited Taiwan in 1997, and that other US lawmakers visited Taiwan earlier this year.Mr Kirby pointed out that Republican former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich had visited Taiwan in 1997, and that other US lawmakers visited Taiwan earlier this year.
"Nothing has changed. There is no drama to talk to. It is not without precedent for a Speaker of the House to go to Taiwan," he said, adding that Mrs Pelosi is travelling on US military planes during her Asian tour."Nothing has changed. There is no drama to talk to. It is not without precedent for a Speaker of the House to go to Taiwan," he said, adding that Mrs Pelosi is travelling on US military planes during her Asian tour.
However, China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said Ms Pelosi's visit now was not comparable to the 1997 visit and would be seen as a provocation.
Speaking at the UN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to be measured in the event that Mrs Pelosi does visit.
"If the speaker does decide to visit, and China tries to create some kind of crisis or otherwise escalate tensions, that would be entirely on Beijing," he told reporters after nuclear non-proliferation talks in New York.
"We are looking for them - in the event she decides to visit - to act responsibly and not to engage in any escalation going forward."