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China warns against Pelosi visit to Taiwan
A planned visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, could enflame tensions between the US and China.
According to the BBC, China has warned that there would be ‘severe consequences’ if Pelosi visited the island. Although Taiwan is de facto independent, China claims it as Chinese territory and only a handful of countries around the world give it diplomatic recognition.
Pelosi would be the most high-ranking US official to visit the island in over 20 years.
Although no official announcements have been made, even President Joe Biden warned against it, telling the press that the military did not think that it was a ‘good idea’.
Pelosi had originally been scheduled to visit the island in April, but this trip was cancelled after she tested positive for Covid.
A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, said that ‘firm and resolute measures’ would be taken if the trip went ahead and the US would be responsible for any ‘serious consequences’.
Tensions between China and the US have been rising in recent years, and some analysts believe an eventual military confrontation between the two countries in the future is inevitable.
