House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left for Asia on Sunday as a heated debate raged back home over her potential visit by her congressional delegation to Taiwan, a move that Beijing has warned against but one that some U.S. officials say would demonstrate American strength amid China’s attempted intimidation of the island democracy.
The California Democrat and longtime critic of Beijing was joined by five other House Democrats for the trip, which will include stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. A public statement released by Mrs. Pelosi’s office early Sunday did not mention Taiwan, leaving open the question of whether she’ll follow through with the visit.
“In Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, our delegation will hold high-level meetings to discuss how we can further advance our shared interests and values, including peace and security, economic growth and trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights and democratic governance,” she said.
The Biden White House has seemed much more cautious. While acknowledging that he can’t prevent Mrs. Pelosi from stopping in Taipei, President Biden has warned that the military doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Mrs. Pelosi to visit Taiwan, though the Pentagon hasn’t issued a clear public statement on the matter.
Mr. Biden held a lengthy phone discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, their first direct conversation in months, seeking to lower the temperature after a series of diplomatic and security clashes.
Mrs. Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. official in 25 years to visit Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province. Then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Georgia Republican, visited Taiwan in 1997.
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While China objected to that visit, the dynamics 25 years ago were far different. In the decades since, China has become one of the world’s preeminent economic and military powers, and Pentagon officials generally view a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan — and a broader war in the Pacific — as perhaps the most significant national security challenge facing the U.S. today.
A visit by Mrs. Pelosi could upset America’s delicate “One China” policy, under which Washington takes no formal position on Taiwan’s status as an independent nation but retains informal relations with the island and is required by federal law to help ensure its defense against a potential attack.
Some members of Congress have openly encouraged Mrs. Pelosi to visit Taiwan and to not yield to public pressure from Beijing.
“Any member that wants to go, should. It shows political deterrence to” China, Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told NBC News last week. “But she should also pay attention to the military if it’s going to cause a blowback and escalate things.”
China has made clear how it would view such a trip. Mr. Xi Jinping warned Mr. Biden against interfering in China-Taiwan relations in their phone call last week, Chinese officials said. And the Chinese Ministry of Defense said last week that it would take “strong measures to thwart any external interference,” presumably referring to the U.S.
Mr. Xi also reportedly told Mr. Biden that “those who play with fire will perish by it,” seemingly warning the U.S. that it could face direct military consequences for backing Taiwan.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby tried to cool those growing U.S.-China tensions.
“There’s no reason for it to come to that, to come to blows,” Mr. Kirby said at a White House briefing last Friday. “There’s no reason for that because there’s been no change in American policy with respect to” the “One China” policy.
For Mrs. Pelosi, the decision whether to visit will now carry significant geopolitical consequences either way. Some prominent U.S. figures say that by backing out now, the House speaker might send an inadvertent message to Beijing that threats and intimidation work.
“I don’t agree with Speaker Pelosi very often. But she made it clear that she wanted to go visit [Taiwan], an independent, sovereign nation,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told WABC on Sunday.
“To allow America to be bullied by Chinese propaganda, right after President Biden has had a … long phone call with Xi Jinping … would send a really bad message to our friends in the region: the Australians, the South Koreans, the Japanese,” he said.
Mrs. Pelosi and her colleagues also will visit with U.S. troops stationed in the region.
“Throughout our travels, we will continue to convey the endless gratitude of Congress and the country for our brave U.S. service members stationed abroad, whose service makes the region and world more stable and safe,” she said in a statement.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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