Beijing Threatens: What Happens If Pelosi Visits Taiwan?

Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan trip could further aggravate China-US ties. The People’s Republic announces “strong countermeasures” when the Democrat visits the autonomously governed island.

A possible visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi in August has angered the Chinese state and party leadership. The People’s Republic is threatening retaliatory measures if the Chair of the US House of Representatives travels to the autonomously governed island.

The spokesman for the Chinese state and party leadership, Wang Wenbin, found clear words: If Pelosi visits Taiwan, it will violate the one-China principle and cause great damage to China-US relations. If the US insists, China will take strong countermeasures, Wang said. He didn’t say exactly what he meant by that.

China threatens retaliation

The Chinese state media also warn against the visit. Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the propaganda paper Global Times, wrote on the Twitter service, which has been blocked in China, that the Chinese air force would respond to a visit by the US democrat. It is speculated that the Chinese military could prevent Pelosi from landing on the island. Such a confrontation would be a massive escalation of already strained China-US relations.

The communist government regards Taiwan as a separate part of the country and regularly threatens to invade it if peaceful unification does not occur. The island with its approximately 23 million inhabitants was never part of the People’s Republic and is governed democratically – in contrast to the People’s Republic.

Most countries only recognize the People’s Republic as a sovereign state, including Germany and the USA. Nevertheless, the US government supports Taiwan politically and militarily, which the state and party leaders in Beijing see as a provocation.