Beijing threatens Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan visit plan

• Nancy Pelosi is rumored to be planning a trip to Taiwan.
• China has threatened “severe consequences” if she goes.
• Beijing sees Taiwan as a province that should reunify with China.

Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, is rumored to be planning a trip to Taiwan, which has angered China and given the White House a major geopolitical headache. How serious is this issue?

Chinese officials have threatened “severe consequences” if Mrs. Pelosi goes through with her visit.

Mrs. Pelosi, who is next in line to the presidency behind the vice president, would be the most senior US official to visit the island since 1997.

This infuriates China, which sees Taiwan, which is self-governing, as a province that should reunify with China. Beijing has left open the possibility of using force to accomplish this.

The California Democrat has reportedly been discouraged from going even by the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden stated to the media last week that  “the military thinks it’s not a good idea”,  while the White House has referred to Chinese opposition to any such trip as “clearly unhelpful and not necessary”.

According to the state department, Mrs. Pelosi has not made any travel plans, and the US policy toward Taiwan is unaltered.

The US has formal diplomatic connections with China, not Taiwan, despite maintaining what it terms a “strong, unofficial relationship” with Taiwan.

If Ms. Pelosi’s travel were to take place, it would also occur at a time when Washington and Beijing are experiencing greater tensions and just before US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak on the phone.

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