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.
Recent Posts
We Have Fascism at Home: Resisting Militarized Police
April 21, 2026
Take Action Now While we must organize against fascism at the federal level, we must not lose sight of the threat of local police and their damage to…
The Bezos Post Editorial Page Has Become a Mouthpiece for Pro-Billionaire Propaganda
April 21, 2026
Take Action Now Jeff Bezos said The Washington Post would no longer publish opinion pieces critical of free markets. Recent editorials show just how…
Iran Says It Won’t Negotiate With ‘Erratic’ Trump After Genocidal Threat to ‘Blow Up’ Whole Country
April 20, 2026
Take Action Now “Our assessment is that Trump effectively lacks both a coherent plan and the capacity to secure even a temporary agreement,” an…
The Case for Blaming Billionaires
April 20, 2026
Take Action Now Criticizing the billionaire class may lack nuance, but the ultrawealthy are robbing us of our voice and vote, trashing our…




