Pelosi Arrives in Taiwan Amid Chinese Threats of Military Violence

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan August 2, in spite of continued threats of violence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its propaganda organs.

The visit comes amid a multi-national tour of southeast Asia that will also see the speaker visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan.

US Unfazed by China Threats

The Speaker’s visit to Taiwan has been in the works since at least April when she was expected to visit Taipei but could not due to a last-minute case of COVID-19.

The CCP has subsequently turned the trip into something of a war drum and has issued a number of increasingly bellicose threats to Taiwan and the United States.

“Playing with fire will set you on fire,” CCP leader Xi Jinping told President Biden during a phone call last week.

Similarly, China state-owned media took to social media with a long list of provocative and, at times, violent posts about the trip. Most notably urging the Chinese military to shoot down Pelosi’s plane.

“If U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan, it is invasion,” said Xijin Hu, former editor of China’s state-owned Global Times, in a tweet.

“The PLA [China’s military] has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi’s plane and the U.S. fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down.”

The threats follow a trajectory of escalating rhetoric emanating from Beijing in recent months, as the CCP attempts to strong arm changes in U.S. policy without meaningful diplomatic engagement. In May, China’s defense minister went so far as to threaten that the regime would “not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost” to prevent Taiwan’s further recognition as a nation on the international stage.

U.S. leadership, for the most part, has taken the threats

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