Blasting a US military jet carrying the speaker out of the sky would be an unthinkable escalation. But there are real world responses China could consider after vowing “resolute and forceful” measures; including imposing a no-fly zone around the self-governing island.
Now that news of the potential trip has spread, the US will look like it’s caving to China if Pelosi doesn’t go. And hawks warn Beijing shouldn’t have a say in who visits, anyway.
“Speaker Pelosi should go to Taiwan and President Biden should make it abundantly clear to Chairman Xi that there’s not a damn thing the Chinese Communist Party can do about it,” said Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican who hardly ever lines up alongside the Democratic speaker. “No more feebleness and self-deterrence.”
Pelosi must weigh all this as she plots her next move. For decades to come, US officials will probably be mulling versions of the same two questions: how far the US is willing to push China — and how might Beijing respond?
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