The White House threatened by a person in Chinese state media who said the Chinese military should “shoot down” the plane carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if she visited Taiwan with a military escort. declined to comment on.
“It’s something we’re not going to talk about because it’s related to speaker travel. It’s hypothetical at this point.” Said White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre on July 29.
“We’re not going to talk about her schedule…I’m not going to talk to a fictional character.”
Jean-Pierre’s comments were made in response to a question about the White House’s position on recent comments by Xijin Hu, former editor-in-chief of the Chinese Communist Party-controlled Global Times news agency.
Hu suggested that China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), should use force against Pelosi if she visited Taiwan under U.S. military protection.
“”If U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane to Taiwan, it’s an invasion.” Said on Twitter.
“The PLA has the right to forcibly repel Pelosi’s planes and U.S. fighters, including warning shots and tactical movements of obstruction. increase.“
Hu’s comments were just the latest in a list of belligerent rhetoric emanating from Beijing and its various voices.
In May, China’s defense secretary threatened to start a war “at all costs” to prevent international recognition of Taiwan’s de facto independence. Similarly, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping threatened President Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday, warning that the US was “playing with fire” on the Taiwan issue.
The story arose amid reports that Pelosi had previously planned a personal visit to Taiwan scheduled for April.At that time, Pelosi contracted COVID-19 and canceled the trip. did.Speaker of the House reportedly She will depart on July 29th for her Asia tour, but the stop in Taiwan remains undecided.
News of the visit has become something of an international affair, as the White House has intervened in the matter. threatened to take Following these threats, Biden publicly said Pelosi’s visit was a “bad idea” and that the military was against it.
Pelosi later said she had not spoken to Biden about the visit, but said the military may have been concerned that China would shoot down her plane.
However, security experts believe that many threats from the Chinese Communist Party leadership are not serious and reflect the weakness of China’s diplomacy.
“These are just idle and empty threats, [meant] General David Stilwell, former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times.
“they [China] Still playing the role of a second-tier middle power…but as a great power, a hollow threat, when shown to be hollow with no intention of proving it, has the desired deterrent effect on future threats. Makes it harder to actually produce. “
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Taiwan is a breakaway territory of China. The Chinese Communist Party leadership has thus vowed to integrate the island with the mainland and has not ruled out the possibility of using force to do so. However, Taiwan has remained autonomous since her 1949, has never been under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, and boasts a thriving democracy and market economy.
Although the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with weapons necessary for self-defense. Washington also maintains the principle of “strategic ambiguity,” neither confirming nor denying whether it will defend Taiwan in the event of Chinese aggression.
Chinese Communist Party leaders have stepped up hostilities in recent years to force the United States to sever ties with Taiwan. While these efforts have failed utterly, the White House has warned that China’s hostile actions in the region, including dangerous actions against international aircraft, are likely to lead to “serious incidents.” There is
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Andrew Thornbrook is a reporter for The Epoch Times, covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military and national security. He has an MA in Military History from Norwich University.