The Taiwanese official added that she is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight. It is unclear exactly when Pelosi will land in Taipei. The US official added that Defense Department officials are working around the clock to monitor any Chinese movements in the area and ensure a plan to keep it safe. The issue of Taiwan — a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory — remains one of the most contentious. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed it at length in a two-hour, 17-minute phone conversation Thursday as tensions between Washington and Beijing rise. “The Taiwan issue is the most sensitive, important core issue in China-US relations,” Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang said at the Aspen Security Forum in July. Biden said last month that the US military opposed Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, though he has since declined to elaborate on the warnings. The White House has said it is up to the speaker of the House where she travels, and that they have little say in her decision. But administration officials have worked in recent weeks to explain the risks of a visit to Taiwan in meetings with Pelosi and her team. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently said he had discussed a visit to Asia with Pelosi. The administration takes special care of Pelosi’s safety when she travels abroad because she is in the presidential line of succession. Administration officials worry that Pelosi’s trip comes at a particularly tense time, as Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress. Chinese party officials are expected to begin laying the groundwork for that conference in the coming weeks, putting pressure on the leadership in Beijing to show strength. Officials also believe that the Chinese leadership does not fully understand the political dynamics in the United States, leading to a misunderstanding of the significance of Pelosi’s potential visit. Officials say China may be mistaking Pelosi’s visit for an official government visit since she and Biden are both Democrats. Administration officials worry that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden much, if at all. Pelosi has long been a critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He has met with pro-democracy dissidents and the Dalai Lama — the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who remains a thorn in the Chinese government’s side. In 1991, Pelosi unfurled a black-and-white banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to commemorate the victims of the 1989 massacre, which read: “To those who died for democracy.” In recent years, she has voiced her support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The Chinese embassy in the United States has opposed her expected trip, which was planned for April before Pelosi tested positive for Covid-19, urging members of Congress to tell the speaker not to do it. “I would say there has been a press release from the Chinese embassy to discourage a trip to Taiwan,” Washington Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen, the co-chairman of the congressional US-China task force, told CNN. “I just don’t think it’s their job to tell us what to do. That was my message back.” Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in the US, responded that his office is in “regular contact” with members of Congress, including Larsen. “On the Taiwan issue, we have expressed our position loud and clear,” Pengyu said. “The Embassy is making every effort to prevent harm to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the stability of China-US relations from the possible visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.” “We hope that serious consequences could be avoided,” he added. “This is in the common interests of both China and the US.” Many Democrats and Republicans in Congress said it was Pelosi’s right to travel to Taiwan. “It’s only Speaker Pelosi’s decision whether or not to travel to Taiwan, not to any other country,” said Illinois Republican Rep. Darin LaHune, Larsen’s Republican counterpart on the US-China task force. “In our democratic system — we operate with separate but equal branches of government.” “It is inappropriate for foreign governments, including the Chinese government, to attempt to influence the ability or right of the speaker, members of Congress or other US government officials to travel to Taiwan or anywhere else around the world,” he added. Other members appeared to be more cautious about the diplomatically sensitive trip. California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress, said she has “always supported Taiwan.” But when asked whether a trip to Taiwan now would send the wrong message, Chu said: “You can look at it two ways. One is that relations are very strained right now. On the other hand, you can say that maybe then it was Taiwan. We must also show strength and support.” When asked what he thought, he said: “I leave that to those who will make that decision.” This story has been updated with additional details on Monday. CNN’s Nectar Gan contributed to this report.
title: “Pelosi Is Expected To Visit Taiwan Taiwanese And Us Officials Say " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-26” author: “Joseph Fogg”
The Taiwanese official added that she is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight. It is unclear exactly when Pelosi will land in Taipei. During a routine foreign ministry briefing on Monday, China warned of the “extreme political impact” of Pelosi’s planned visit to the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory, and reiterated that its military “will not be idle ” if Beijing feels its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” are threatened. “We would like to tell the US once again that China stands by and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never stand idly by. China will take decisive responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity State Department spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters when asked about the fallout from Pelosi leading a congressional delegation to Taipei. “As for the measures, if he dares to go, then let’s wait and see,” Zhao added. National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said Monday that the Biden administration would support Pelosi on a trip to Taiwan. “We want to make sure that when he travels abroad, he can do so safely and we will make sure of that. No need for Chinese rhetoric. There is no reason to take action. It’s not unusual for congressional leaders to travel to Taiwan,” Kirby told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on “New Day.” “We as a country should not be — we should not be intimidated by this rhetoric or these potential actions. This is an important journey for the speaker and we will do everything we can to support her,” Kirby continued. Asked if the US was prepared for an impact with China during the visit, Kirby said “there is no change in our policy. No change in our focus on trying to maintain a free and secure and open Indo-Pacific.” The issue of Taiwan remains one of the most controversial. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed it at length in a two-hour, 17-minute phone conversation Thursday as tensions between Washington and Beijing rise. “The Taiwan issue is the most sensitive, important core issue in China-US relations,” Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang said at the Aspen Security Forum in July. Biden said last month that the US military opposed Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, though he has since declined to elaborate on the warnings. The White House has said it is up to the speaker of the House where she travels, and that they have little say in her decision. But administration officials have worked in recent weeks to explain the risks of a visit to Taiwan in meetings with Pelosi and her team. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently said he had discussed a visit to Asia with Pelosi. The administration takes special care of Pelosi’s safety when she travels abroad because she is in the presidential line of succession. Administration officials worry that Pelosi’s trip comes at a particularly tense time, as Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress. Chinese party officials are expected to begin laying the groundwork for that conference in the coming weeks, putting pressure on the leadership in Beijing to show strength. Officials also believe that the Chinese leadership does not fully understand the political dynamics in the United States, leading to a misunderstanding of the significance of Pelosi’s potential visit. Officials say China may be mistaking Pelosi’s visit for an official government visit since she and Biden are both Democrats. Administration officials worry that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden much, if at all. Pelosi has long been a critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He has met with pro-democracy dissidents and the Dalai Lama — the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who remains a thorn in the Chinese government’s side. In 1991, Pelosi unfurled a black-and-white banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to commemorate the victims of the 1989 massacre, which read: “To those who died for democracy.” In recent years, she has voiced her support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The Chinese embassy in the United States has opposed her expected trip, which was planned for April before Pelosi tested positive for Covid-19, urging members of Congress to tell the speaker not to do it. “I would say there has been a press release from the Chinese embassy to discourage a trip to Taiwan,” Washington Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen, the co-chairman of the congressional US-China task force, told CNN. “I just don’t think it’s their job to tell us what to do. That was my message back.” Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in the US, responded that his office is in “regular contact” with members of Congress, including Larsen. “On the Taiwan issue, we have expressed our position loud and clear,” Pengyu said. “The Embassy is making every effort to prevent harm to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the stability of China-US relations from the possible visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.” “We hope that serious consequences could be avoided,” he added. “This is in the common interests of both China and the US.” Many Democrats and Republicans in Congress said it was Pelosi’s right to travel to Taiwan. “It’s only Speaker Pelosi’s decision whether or not to travel to Taiwan, not to any other country,” said Illinois Republican Rep. Darin LaHune, Larsen’s Republican counterpart on the US-China task force. “In our democratic system — we operate with separate but equal branches of government.” “It is inappropriate for foreign governments, including the Chinese government, to attempt to influence the ability or right of the speaker, members of Congress or other US government officials to travel to Taiwan or anywhere else around the world,” he added. Other members appeared to be more cautious about the diplomatically sensitive trip. California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress, said she has “always supported Taiwan.” But when asked whether a trip to Taiwan now would send the wrong message, Chu said: “You can look at it two ways. One is that relations are very strained right now. On the other hand, you can say that maybe then it was Taiwan. We must also show strength and support.” When asked what he thought, he said: “I leave that to those who will make that decision.” This story has been updated with additional details on Monday. CNN’s Nectar Gan, Chandelis Duster and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
