Status: 01.08.2022 4:39 p.m
Amid tensions between Beijing and Washington, US House Speaker Pelosi has begun her Asia tour. Several media are reporting on a possible stop in Taiwan – against which China warns urgently.
Amid tensions over a possible visit to Taiwan, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has begun her much-publicized trip to Asia.
According to the city-state’s foreign ministry, Pelosi met with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a first stop in Singapore. He announced on Twitter that he had spoken to Pelosi about issues such as the US economic commitment in Singapore and climate change.
Is Pelosi visiting Taiwan?
Observers all over the world are looking forward to a possible visit to Taiwan by Pelosi – China had announced a sharp reaction in this case. Even before the trip began, there was much speculation as to whether the Speaker of the US House of Representatives would visit the island after the US broadcaster CNN and the Taiwanese channel TVBS reported on a possible visit, citing anonymous sources.
The media from Taiwan recently reported on a possible detour from Pelosis, which is planned for Tuesday. The newspaper “Liberty Times” announced, for example, that the Democrat would visit Parliament in Taipei on Wednesday.
“Taiwan question” is still open
While Taiwan isn’t on her official itinerary, that doesn’t mean Pelosi’s visit there is ruled out. Trips by US officials to the island nation are usually kept secret until they land. The state-run Chinese newspaper Global Times wrote that the prominent representative of the US Democrats could use “an emergency landing due to a technical problem or a lack of fuel” as an excuse.
Pelosi has not yet commented on whether she plans to visit Taiwan. The US government stressed that a possible visit by Pelosi would not change US policy on Taiwan.
China warned Pelosi about visit to Taiwan
A visit by Pelosi to Taiwan would be highly explosive. Discreet solidarity visits by US officials to Taiwan are not uncommon – but if Pelosi were to go to Taipei, it would be the highest-ranking US visit there in decades. Because the Democrat Pelosi is – after the President and his Vice – the third most powerful politician in the USA.
A visit to Taiwan by Pelosi would therefore be seen by China as a provocation by the United States – Beijing had already warned the democrat not to include the island state as a stop on her trip to Asia. In a phone call to US President Joe Biden on Thursday, China’s head of state Xi Jinping warned against “playing with fire”. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry threatened Pelosi with “decisive and strong countermeasures” immediately before the trip began.
China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province
The background to the tensions is that China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that is to be reunited with the mainland – if necessary using military force. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has fueled fears that Beijing may be heading for a similar move toward Taiwan.
The US applies a policy of “strategic ambiguity” with regard to Taiwan – without specifying whether the US would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese invasion. Although Washington does not officially recognize Taiwan as an independent state, it does maintain informal relations with the government in Taipei. The United States is required by federal law to ensure Taiwan’s defense capability.
Further stations are Japan and South Korea
Other stops mentioned on her trip to Asia are Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. According to Pelosi, this is intended to underline the commitment of the USA to its allies and friends in the region. The focus is on “common security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.