The past few days have seen an increase in tensions between the US and China, with the most recent flashpoint being a potential trip to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ahead of Pelosi’s probable trip to Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army of China has just published a new video on WeChat.
NOW – China's People's Liberation Army just posted a new video on WeChat ahead of Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan.pic.twitter.com/QaiFcdGCn1
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 1, 2022
Pelosi will travel to Taiwan at some point, though the exact date has not yet been announced. If she does, she will be the highest-ranking American lawmaker to visit Taiwan in the previous 25 years. China has warned to take unnamed, “serious actions” against the US if Pelosi goes through with her plans since it sees the neighboring island as part of its territory.
The debate arises at a time when US-China tensions are at an all-time high due to their divergent positions on several economic and geopolitical problems, including the South China Sea dispute, the Russia-Ukraine war, and technological disputes.
Here is a brief explanation of the most recent source of controversy in the US-China relationship.
Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan—was it leaked?
A report stated that Pelosi will be traveling to Taiwan in August and that the 82-year-old Democrat legislator would be bringing a delegation with her. According to the source, Pelosi will travel to the island at the highest level since Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s trip there in 1997.
Pelosi had originally scheduled the trip for earlier in April, but she was forced to postpone it after contracting Covid-19. According to the story, three unidentified people in the White House had “concerns” about the trip because of its timing, which falls on the anniversary of the foundation of China’s People’s Liberation Army on August 1.
China has stated officially that it aspires to reunite Taiwan with mainland China. Taiwan is an island that is detached from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan, on the other hand, views itself as an independent country and has rejected China’s plans.
While having a tight, albeit unofficial alliance with Taiwan, the US has a long-standing “One China” policy that sees it maintain an official engagement with China.
China’s reaction
Zhao Lijiang, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, issued a stern warning to Beijing in response to the announcement, saying that if the visit occurs, China will take “resolute and strong measures.”
He added that the visit could “severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-US relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces.”
“If the US were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
In response to a press inquiry as the news spread, US President Joe Biden stated that US military officials thought the visit was “not a good idea” at this time.
“Well, I think that the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now,” Biden said, adding, “but I don’t know what the status of it is.”
Notably, the President, who is a member of the same political party as Pelosi, did not advise her to postpone her trip.
Throughout a two-hour phone chat on Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden attempted to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping that US policy toward Taiwan had not changed.
“On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said an official readout on the White House website.
China’s foreign ministry reported that Xi told Biden, during the leaders’ phone talk, that “those who play with fire will perish by it” and that they hoped “the US will be clear-eyed about this.”
The potential visit to Taiwan has not been confirmed by Pelosi or the White House.
Pelosi did not mention Taiwan, but she did say she is traveling to Asia on Friday. “I’m very excited, should we go, to the countries that you’ll be hearing about along the way,” she said.
