US and China Deploy Military Forces Near Taiwan Ahead of Pelosi Trip

China and the United States both deployed military forces to the region around Taiwan Aug. 1, following Chinese threats of a military attack in response to a proposed visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced through state-owned media that it would deploy forces for live-fire exercises in waters north of Taiwan, between mainland China and South Korea. The exercises are the latest in a series of back-to-back Chinese drills in the region. They are notable, however, in that the announcement was accompanied by footage of China’s D-17 hypersonic missile.

Dubbed the “aircraft carrier killer,” the D-17 is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile fitted with a hypersonic glide vehicle that allows its payload to glide in low orbit at great speed before plunging down on its target. The footage released this week marks the first time ever that a live fire recording of the weapon has been released.

The United States announced that it was moving a carrier strike group and air support closer to Taiwan. The USS Ronald Reagan is typically stationed at Yokosuka, Japan, and is moving back into the South China Sea after making a five-day port call in Singapore last week.

Pelosi to Visit Taiwan

Pelosi is currently on a tour of Indo-Pacific nations including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. What has made the trip remarkable, however, is her alleged plans to visit Taiwan, which has been the target of CCP military harassment and intimidation for years.

Taiwanese media have reported that unnamed Taiwanese officials confirmed Pelosi is likely to stop in Taiwan on Aug. 2 or 3.

The Chinese regime said on Aug. 1 that its military would “not sit idly by” if Pelosi visited the island. Earlier, the CCP also threatened “forceful measures” against the United States and Taiwan

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