Taiwan is preparing for a possible show of force from China, as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is due to arrive on the island Tuesday evening.
Her travel, which is not supported by the White House, would be the first by a senior US official of this rank in decades.
Pelosi is the third-highest ranking US government official and a longtime opponent of Beijing.
China has consistently warned against the visit and stated on Tuesday that the United States will “pay the price”
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stated that China and the United States have discussed the sensitivity of the visit.
She stated that the United States will carry the burden and pay the price for harming China’s sovereign security interests.
Tuesday, China dispatched warplanes to the median line, the informal dividing line between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait.
Its forces have also conducted live-fire drills, and the Chinese military’s eastern command has produced an online video stating that it is “completely prepared for any contingency.”
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense stated that it had a complete understanding of the military activity near the island and was prepared to defend itself against any Chinese threats.
Taiwan is a self-governing island, although China claims it as a breakaway province.
The United States has formal diplomatic relations with China and not with Taiwan, although it maintains a “strong, unofficial connection” with Taiwan.
Mr. Kirby told reporters earlier in the week that China may retaliate with military provocations, such as shooting missiles near Taiwan, unleashing massive air or naval operations, or creating “frivolous legal claims” to justify a naval blockade of the Taiwan Strait.
Mrs. Pelosi began her visit to Asia on Sunday, but Taiwan was absent from her agenda. She has visited Singapore and Malaysia thus far and also has scheduled stops in South Korea and Japan.
According to several reports in Taiwanese and American media, she plans to arrive in Taipei on Tuesday evening and meet with Taiwan’s authorities on Wednesday.
Taiwan’s premier, Su Tseng-chang, stated on Tuesday that the island “warmly welcomes” foreign visitors and will “make the most appropriate accommodations” for them.
The visit has caused the White House diplomatic headaches. President Joe Biden stated last week that a Pelosi trip to Taiwan is “not a good idea at this time” on behalf of the United States military.
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated on Monday that Nancy Pelosi “has the right to visit Taiwan” and “makes her judgments,” adding that the White House respects the independence of the United States Congress.
Taiwan enjoys broad bipartisan support among the American public and in Congress.
And Mrs. Pelosi, a prominent member of the Democratic Party, has long been an outspoken opponent of the Chinese government’s human rights record. She has met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to honor the 1989 massacre’s victims.
She had planned to visit Taiwan in April, but her trip was postponed after she tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier this month, she stated that demonstrating support for Taiwan was crucial.
Mr. Kirby said that former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997 and that other US legislators visited Taiwan earlier this year.
“There has been no change. There is no controversy to discuss. It is not unprecedented for a House Speaker to travel to Taiwan “He said that on her Asian tour, Mrs. Pelosi is traveling aboard US military aircraft.
