China could make show of force if Pelosi visits Taiwan – US

BBC News:

The White House has warned that China may respond to Nancy Pelosi’s mooted visit to Taiwan with military provocations.

This could include firing missiles near Taiwan, or large-scale air or naval activities, spokesman John Kirby said.

Mrs Pelosi, the US House of Representatives Speaker, is on a tour of Asia.

Taiwanese and US media outlets say she plans to visit Taipei, but this has not been confirmed by the US government.

Taiwan is a self-ruled island, but claimed by China, which sees it as a breakaway province – Beijing has warned of “serious consequences” if Mrs Pelosi goes there.

While the US maintains what it calls a “robust, unofficial relationship” with Taiwan, it has formal diplomatic ties with China, and not Taiwan.

On Monday, China’s United Nations envoy Zhang Jun warned the visit would undermine relations between Beijing and Washington, Reuters news agency reported.

There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress. And Mrs Pelosi, a senior figure in the Democratic Party, has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has previously met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

The speaker began her tour of Asia on Sunday, with stops scheduled in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

She originally planned to visit Taiwan in April, but postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19.

Earlier this month Mrs Pelosi said it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan”.