United States (US) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have taken Taiwan off her Asia tour itinerary following intense pressure from China, a new release by her office shows.
In a press release on Sunday, Pelosi’s office said that the speaker will lead “a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific, including visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.”
Pelosi said in the release that the six-member delegation, which began its Indo-Pacific tour with a fuel stop in Hawaii on Sunday, aims to “reaffirm America’s strong and unshakeable commitment to our [its] allies and friends in the region.”
“In Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, our delegation will hold high-level meetings to discuss how we can further advance our shared interests and values, including peace and security, economic growth and trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights and democratic governance,” Pelosi revealed.
“America is firmly committed to smart, strategic engagement in the region, understanding that a free and flourishing Indo-Pacific is crucial to prosperity in our nation and around the globe,” she added.
We look forward to productive meetings that will continue to inform Congress’s work to strengthen our partnerships & advance our interests.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 31, 2022
These include peace & security, economic growth & trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights and democratic governance.
The absence of Taiwan’s name in the itinerary has given rise to speculation that the top US politician may have given heed to warnings from Beijing.
Chinese Ministry of Defence Spokesperson Tan Kefei warned last Tuesday: “If the US insists on taking its own course, the Chinese military will never sit idly by, and it will definitely take strong actions to thwart any external force’s interference and separatist’s schemes for ‘Taiwan independence,’ and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Likewise, Chinese Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian said during his press conference on Thursday: “We Chinese mean what we say.”
Likewise, in his latest warning to the US on Friday, Zhao said that Beijing has repeatedly clarified its “serious concern over Speaker Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan” and has expressed its “firm opposition to the visit.” “If the US side challenges China’s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures. The US must bear all consequences arising thereof,” he underscored
🇺🇸🇨🇳🇹🇼US Navy aircraft near Taiwan.
— ТРУХА⚡️English (@TpyxaNews) July 30, 2022
Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, tension in the region has reached its highest level.
There are also very harsh statements coming from China. pic.twitter.com/h6YQDBakWo
Zhao’s latest comments come after US President Joe Biden’s phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, during which, Xi warned Biden that “Those who play with fire will perish by it.” He also asked that the US remain “clear-eyed” on the issue of Taiwan and continue to respect the ‘one-China’ principle.
Furthermore, Chinese Air Force spokesperson Col. Shen Jinke warned that China would “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” At a military air show, he stressed that China has many different types of fighter jets that are capable of “safeguarding [the] national sovereignty and territory” of Taiwan.
In fact, Pelosi has been warned against visiting the self-governed island by US diplomats as well. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to comment on Pelosi’s travel schedule during her press briefing on Friday but admitted that the Biden administration offers “advice and guidance to any members of Congress where they travel, to the region they travel, whether — and advice on geopolitical situation in the region or in the country, and any national security issues that may arise.”
resident #XiJinping warned the #USA in the candid talk with @JoeBiden that “Those who play with fire will perish by it” while Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to #Taiwan is still adding uncertainty to the #China-#US ties.@globaltimesnews pic.twitter.com/MgKDfeVizs
— Zhang Meifang张美芳 (@CGMeifangZhang) July 30, 2022
Biden himself has been more public in his doubts surrounding the visit. Last Wednesday, the US president told reporters: “I think that the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now, but I don’t know what the status of it is.”
Those familiar with the matter have said that despite the omission, Pelosi, who has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, could still change her mind about visiting Taiwan, given that she said earlier this month that it is “important for us to show support for Taiwan.” However, the sources added that the possibility seemed unlikely.
Republican Newt Gingrich was the last US House Speaker to visit the China-claimed island in 1997.
During a visit to Japan in May, President Joe Biden suggested that the US would intervene militarily if China attempted to take Taiwan by force. However, White House officials quickly downplayed his comments, saying the US is merely committed to providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself. In recent weeks, Biden has somewhat attempted to steady the ship in bilateral ties with China to protect global supply chains, and has even hinted at removing Trump-era tariffs.