Pelosi Taiwan Visit Will Increase Tensions Between US And China

By Travis Andersen, Boston Globe

Foreign policy experts said Tuesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan, a momentous event making her the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China, could lead to heightened tensions between the US and Chinese governments.

“I think that Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will certainly contribute to the deterioration of US-China relations,” said Philip Thai, an associate professor of history and Asian studies at Northeastern University.

Thai, the author of “China’s War on Smuggling: Law, Economic Life, and the Making of the Modern State, 1842-1965,” said the breakdown in US-China relations has been “years in the making,” citing examples such as Donald Trump taking a call with Taiwan’s president shortly after winning the 2016 election.

Graham Allison, a professor of government at Harvard University who’s written widely on US-China relations, referenced reports that White House officials had voiced opposition to Pelosi’s visit, which Allison called “reckless” in an email.