Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday to begin the second phase of her Asian tour overshadowed by an anticipated arrival in Taiwan, which would heighten tense relations with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over the self-governing island.
The plane carrying Pelosi and her delegation touched down at an air force base amid tight security. She called on lower house Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun in Parliament and adjourned for a luncheon meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
China has threatened consequences, stating that its military will “never sit quietly by” if Pelosi pushes through with the visit. China views Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reclaimed by force, if necessary. Fears of a fresh conflict in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the two sides, and might disrupt global markets and supply lines, have been raised in response to China’s vows of reprisal.
The White House condemned Beijing’s rhetoric on Monday, asserting that the United States “will not take the bait or engage in saber-rattling” and that it has no interest in heightening tensions with China.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, emphasized that Pelosi ultimately made the decision about whether to travel to the autonomous island. He mentioned the frequent congressional visits to Taiwan over the years.
According to Kirby, administration officials are worried that Beijing might use the visit as an excuse to engage in provocative retaliation, including military action like firing missiles into the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan, conducting large-scale naval exercises in the strait, or flying sorties into the island’s airspace.
In case Pelosi goes ahead with the visit, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also asked China to “act responsibly.”
After the Communists won a civil war on the mainland, Taiwan and China divided in 1949. Even though it acknowledges Beijing as the government of China, the United States still has informal contacts and military cooperation with Taiwan.
Beijing interprets official American contacts with Taiwan as an encouragement to formally recognize Taiwan’s long-standing de facto independence, a move that American authorities claim they oppose. Since former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997, Pelosi, head of one of the three branches of the U.S. government, would be the highest-ranking elected American politician to do so.
Pelosi began her Asian tour on Monday in Singapore, but her rumored trip to Taiwan has alarmed locals.
The Philippines urged China and the United States to act in the region “responsibly.” According to Teresita Daza, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, “It is crucial that the United States and China maintain an ongoing dialogue to avoid any miscalculation and further escalation of tensions.”
Chinese pressure on Taiwan has been progressively increasing on the diplomatic and military fronts. As a result of President Tsai Ing-refusal wen’s to accept China’s assertion that the island and mainland collectively constitute a single Chinese nation, with the Communist dictatorship in Beijing serving as the only legal government, China severed all ties with Taiwan’s government in 2016.
According to Kim’s office, Pelosi will meet with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo on Thursday in Seoul to discuss security in the Indo-Pacific area, economic collaboration, and the climate problem. Pelosi is also scheduled to travel to Japan, though it is unknown when.
