According to a Financial Times report, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning to visit Taiwan in August. Her visit would be the first in 25 years by the head of the U.S. legislative body. Though the visit isn”t yet confirmed, China has voiced opposition to any such show of support for Taiwan from Washington. U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the U.S. military did not think the visit would be a good idea.

Reports say U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning a Taiwan visit in August to show support for Taiwan. If she comes, it’ll be the first time in 25 years that a House of Representatives speaker comes to Taiwan. Though the visit has not yet been confirmed by Pelosi’s office, the news has already ruffled feathers in Beijing.

Zhao Lijian
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson
It will send a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China firmly opposes such a visit. Should the U.S. side insist on carrying out the visit, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. must assume full responsibility for any ensuing consequences.

Reporter
Mr. President, do you think it’s a good idea for Speaker Pelosi to travel to Taiwan this summer?

Joe Biden
US president
Well, I — I think that — the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now, but I don’t know what the status of it is.

Biden said the U.S. military did not think Pelosi’s visit would be a good idea. That same day, he said he would be talking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping within the next 10 days. A Taiwan lawmaker says Chinese pressure is not one of the factors influencing opinion on the visit, saying that China’s threats have always existed.

Wang Ting-yu
DPP lawmaker
China’s threats can’t be one of the factors to consider, and less so a decisive factor. If the threats were effective, China could ramp up its responses to interactions between Taiwan and the U.S. I think Biden simply meant to convey the military’s assessment of the situation. As for whether Speaker Pelosi will be able to visit Taiwan in August… friends respect each other’s decisions on when it’s best to meet up.

Pelosi was elected speaker of the House of Representatives twice, in 2007 and 2019. She is also the first woman to hold that position in the U.S. Should she visit in August, her team would be the highest-level delegation from the House of Representatives.

民視,民視新聞,英語新聞,English News,Formosa News