It's Background Noise, Taiwanese Say Of China's Threats vs Pelosi Visit

Reports that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning a visit to Taiwan have sparked tense exchanges between the US and China even as Pelosi has declined to confirm the reports and lawmakers on both sides of Washington's political divide have urged her to go, Eric Cheung reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

China, meanwhile, has lashed out at the idea, vowing to take "resolute and forceful measures" if any trip goes ahead, Eric Cheung reported for CNN on July 30, 2022. Far less vocal, however, has been the island at the center of the controversy.

There has been no statement in favor of, or against, Pelosi's trip from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen though Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Wednesday that Taipei was "very grateful to Speaker Pelosi for her strong support and kindness towards Taiwan over the years."

Analysts say the relative silence is because Taiwan, a democratic self-governed island of 24 million people that China claims as part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, finds itself in an awkward spot.

Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American living in Taipei who founded the New Bloom Magazine, covering Taiwan's politics, said the Taiwanese are not generally worried about the repercussions of Pelosi's visit, as Beijing has made similar threats in the past.

"China's threats occur with such frequency that it's something like background noise," he said. "And so people here actually don't really think that seriously about the possibility of repercussions from a Pelosi visit."

Wang Ting-yu, a Taiwanese MP from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said if Pelosi doesn't come, the US risks looking like it was scared of China's possible response. China would lose face if Pelosi comes since it would mean Beijing’s rants are meaningless.

Wang said Taiwan is "not anyone's pawn" and that China should not be able to dictate who visits the island. "There is no room for China to interfere in the diplomatic interactions between Taiwan and the US," said Wang, a member of the parliament's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

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