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".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62310576At 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.
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.