Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's rumoured plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this? China has warned of "serious consequences" if Mrs Pelosi were to proceed with her visit. Second in line to the presidency, after the vice-president, Mrs Pelosi would be the highest ranking US politician to travel to the island since 1997. This rankles China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.
There is strong bipartisan support for Taiwan among the American public and in the US Congress. And over a congressional career spanning 35 years, Speaker Pelosi has been a vocal critic of China. She has denounced its human rights record, met with pro-democracy dissidents, and also visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre. Mrs Pelosi's original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but it was postponed after she tested positive for Covid-19. She has declined to discuss details of the trip, but said last week that it was "important for us to show support for Taiwan".
At its party congress later this year, the Chinese Communist Party is set to re-elect Mr Xi to an unprecedented third term as president. President Biden - who last spoke with President Xi in March - has said they will speak over the phone again in the next few days, on a range of topics including Taiwan and other "issues of tension". The call comes as US officials warn of a Chinese military build-up in the Asia-Pacific region and "aggressive and irresponsible behaviour" in the South China Sea. The threats of retaliation over Mrs Pelosi's visit have raised concerns over China's possible response.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62310576

Mike Pompeo and other Republicans have volunteered to accompany Pelosi on her Taiwan trip. Our One China policy was foolish because we accepted Taiwan as part of China.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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It was never our call to begin with to declare Taiwan a part of China, another unfinished war lingers. So what’s the game plan here, we retract our acceptance of a one China policy and let them fight it out….
I suppose that’s one way to take on your enemies, encourage them to fight a war.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has extended an invitation to members of Congress to join her on a planned trip to Taiwan, according to a House aide. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was invited to join the Speaker to visit Taipei but is unable to attend because of a previous commitment, his spokesperson Leslie Shedd confirmed to The Hill. Shedd added that the congressman was disappointed not to be able to join the trip. “He also believes the Speaker or any other American official should be able to visit Taiwan if they would like to,” Shedd said.

NBC News was first to report Wednesday that the Speaker was extending invitations to members of Congress to join her, including Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Information about travel for the Speaker and members of Congress is often tightly held over security concerns. Pelosi’s office has not officially confirmed she is traveling to Taiwan, though President Biden spoke about the reported trip recently.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3576 ... iwan-trip/

Other news sources say that Pelosi plans on travelling to Taiwan in August with a bi-partisan group. And that the US military will use naval ships and fighter jets to ensure her security.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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If Joe says she should go to stand up to Xi, she will. My guess is an economic deal with both mainland and Taiwan will be announced when she returns. I think it's about the midterms. I will bet heavily against war. There is, however, a move by China and Russia to change the world's reserve currency.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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Pelosi could easily slip into Taiwan while Western media is still sleeping and pull off a coup, of the highest US official's visit to Taiwan since the 1970s. She could bring greetings and gifts from Biden, while saying "f-k" to the PRC. Something Nancy could pull off much better than lard ass Trump.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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I’m not a fan of pelosi. Not a fan of our government interfering in regions we have no business in. Before y’all get riled up, our government aided the Soviet Union after the Winter War. If we would have let the Soviets sink or swim perhaps Finland wouldn’t have had to turn to Nazi Germany and perhaps the Soviet Union would have been less of a threat after WW2. Perhaps I wouldn’t have a bitter taste at the destruction of my people who are essentially non existent. Let the assholes fight their own wars, I’m for standing back. So if nancy starts a war, fine, let the Taiwanese and Chinese finish their war, but let them do it on their own.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi kicked off a closely-watched Asia tour on Monday in Singapore as China warned that its military would never "sit idly by" if she were to visit Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.

Amid widespread speculation over whether she would make a stop in Taiwan, Pelosi's office announced on Sunday that she was leading a Congressional delegation to the region that would include visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. It did not mention Taiwan.
"We would like to tell the United States once again that China is standing by, the Chinese People's Liberation Army will never sit idly by, and China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zhao told a regular daily briefing. Asked what kind of measures the PLA might take, Zhao said: "if she dares to go, then let us wait and see.”
On Monday, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang did not directly respond when asked whether Pelosi will visit on Thursday, as local media have speculated. "We always warmly welcome visits to our country by distinguished foreign guests," he told reporters in Taipei.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 022-08-01/

China is sabre rattling. The US's One China policy needs modification, there is one China but Taiwan is a separate nation. We've recognized many nations that were part of the old Soviet Union and new nations created after the break up of Yugoslavia like North Macedonia.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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(CNN)US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia, according to a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official, despite warnings from Biden administration officials, who are worried about China's response to such a high-profile visit.
The stop -- the first for a US House speaker in 25 years -- is not currently on Pelosi's public itinerary and comes at a time when US-China relations are already at a low point.
The Taiwanese official added that she is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight. It is unclear when exactly Pelosi will land in Taipei.

The US official added that Defense Department officials are working around the clock on monitoring any Chinese movements in the region and securing a plan to keep her safe.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/politics ... index.html

ETA the reddit thread

https://old.reddit.com/r/politics/comme ... dly_by_if/

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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That sounds semi-official, if she's staying overnight that would be hard to hide from the media. Looks like the only US president to visit Taiwan was Eisenhower in 1960. Newt Gingrich when has was House speaker was the last high ranking US official to visit Taiwan and that was in 1997.
Pelosi is second in line to the presidency, behind Vice President Kamala Harris, and would be the highest-ranking U.S. politician to visit Taiwan since 1997. China has threatened unspecified “resolute and strong measures” if she goes ahead, which analysts say could cause tensions to spike in the Taiwan Strait, considered a major potential Asian powder keg.
https://archive.ph/ko6EJ#selection-1923.0-1927.137
The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, made its way to the disputed waters following a five-day port call to Singapore, departing Changi Naval Base on Tuesday, the US 7th Fleet said in reply to a query from Bloomberg News. The trip follows remarks this week by China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian that Beijing was getting “seriously prepared” for the possibility that Pelosi could visit Taiwan, a self-governing island that China considers part of its territory.
China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, based on a 1947 map showing vague markings that has since become known as the “nine-dash line.” The U.S. estimates that more than 30% of the global maritime crude oil trade passes through the waters.

“The United States, once again, sent vessels to the South China Sea to flex its muscles,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a regular briefing Thursday. “It is clear to us who is the biggest threat to security in the South China Sea and beyond.”

China has ramped up military activity around Taiwan to signal its displeasure with past high-profile visits. While the People’s Liberation Army could step up sea and air patrols during Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan, anything more severe is unlikely, said Blake Herzinger, an Indo-Pacific defense policy specialist.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... h%20Fleet.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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Yes, Nancy Pelosi who is 82 flips the bird at Xi and the Chinese Communist Party. I agree with the first opinion piece, Xi is afraid of the democratic government in Taiwan just like he feared Hong Kong's democracy movement. I'm not totally convinced that Biden has stood back on Pelosi's visit, I think he strongly supports it.
On Tuesday night, Taiwan's tallest building, Taipei 101, lit up with messages including: "Welcome to Taiwan", "Speaker Pelosi", "Taiwan (heart) USA".
Meanwhile four U.S. warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the U.S. Navy called routine deployments.

The carrier USS Ronald Reagan had transited the South China Sea and was currently in the Philippines Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, a U.S. Navy official told Reuters.

It was operating with a guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam, and a destroyer, USS Higgins. The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was also in the area.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 022-08-02/
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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Agree, we can't back down on Pelosi's visit. It appears she's already landed in Taipei, Taiwan. The BBC is running a live feed.
Pelosi: 'World faces choice between autocracy and democracy' Nancy Pelosi has just tweeted after touching down in Taiwan. In a thread, the top US Democrat says that her delegation's visit honoured "America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy". She added: "America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever" and that her visit "in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy." "The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo" she says, linking to a full statement.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-62377353

And mainland China is beating the bush of nationalism, that is the nationalism of the Chinese Communist Party. I don't agree with Nancy on everything, but kudos to her for supporting democracy in Taiwan and it's independence from the chains of the Communist Chinese Party.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Pelosi - will she or won't she go to Taiwan ?

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1 – I think it’s a bad idea, we need to stop meddling in Taiwan. That’s a problem that is 100% American made and we need to find a good way to let Taiwan go back to China. As it is right now, we’re WAY too belligerent over the Taiwan situation. We are not the world’s babysitters.

2 – Biden is continuing the aggression consistent with all other administrations (DUMB idea), and he has put SuperCarrier, and 2 F35 equipped assault carriers off the coast of Taiwan. So bluff has been called.

Going to be difficult to engage Pelosi’s aircraft when you keep getting locked up by invisible fighters that have been following you for 100 miles. Of course there’s no guarantee Pelosi won’t be shot down by one of our F35’s…I mean, that’s a WHOLE lot of temptation to give to a lowly pilot who probably votes Republican😊
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