A possible trip by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan warns the Pentagon of a threat from China

US officials say they are not afraid of China Attack Nancy Pelosi’s plane if you go to Taiwan. But the president of the United States House of Representatives would enter one of the points hottest in the world, where an accident, a misstep or a misunderstanding could jeopardize your safety. This is why the Pentagon is preparing plans just in case.

Officials told The Associated Press that if Pelosi goes to Taiwan – something still uncertain – the military the movement of forces would increase and active in the Indo-Pacific region.

They declined to give details, but said they are likely to be used combat aircraft, ships, surveillance vehicles and other military systems to provide overlapping protection rings for your flight to Taiwan and your ground time there.

Any trip abroad by a prominent American leader requires greater security. But officials said this week that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan – the US elected official would be of higher rank visit Taiwan since 1997 – would take more safety precautions than usual to travel to less risky destinations.

When asked about military measures planned to protect Pelosi in the event of a trip, US General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that it is premature to talk about a specific trip.

But, he added, “if it is decided that Pelosi or anyone else will travel and military support is required, we will do what is necessary to ensure the safe conduct of their visit. And that is all I will say.”

China

China considers Taiwan its own territory and has raised the possibility of annexing it by force.

The US argues informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan, even though it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.

The Chinese government warned Wednesday that if Pelosi visits Taiwan, he will not stand by.

“If Pelosi sees Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army will accompany your plane when you enter the island, making a historic military flight from the mainland for the first time, “said Hu Xijin, former editor of the Global Times, a Chinese state-owned company.

When then US Secretary of Health Alex Azar flew to Taiwan in 2020, Chinese aviation fighters crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China. left them within missile range of Taipei.

The trip comes at a time when China has stepped up what the US and its Pacific allies are saying risky confrontations with other armies to assert their important territorial claims.

Accidents

The incidents included dangerously close passages that forced other pilots to swerve to avoid collisions or harass or obstruct aircraft and ship crews, even with blinding lasers or water cannons.

Only this year there have been dozens of similar maneuversUS Deputy Defense Secretary Ely Ratner told a South China Sea forum on Tuesday hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China denies accidents.

US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to sensitive security concerns, raised the need to create buffer zones around the legislator and his aircraft.

The United States already has significant forces spread across the region, so any increased security could be largely managed by existing resources.

The military should also be prepared for any incidents an accident in the air or on the ground. They said the US should have rescue capabilities nearby and that these could include helicopters on ships already in the area.

Pelosi, a Democrat from California, has not publicly confirmed any new plans to travel to Taiwan. I would have gone in April but he postponed the trip after testing positive for COVID-19.

The White House did not agree on Monday to comment directly on the matter and noted that Pelosi he hadn’t confirmed the trip. But President Joe Biden raised concerns about it last week, telling reporters that the military believes his trip. “Not a good idea right now.”

Biden is expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Xinping this Thursday.

Pelosi’s journey could play into that phone call, their first conversation in four months.

US officials said the administration doubts China will take direct action against Pelosi or attempt to sabotage the visit. But do not rule out the possibility that China can intensify overflight provocation of military aircraft in or near Taiwanese airspace and naval patrol in the Taiwan Strait in the event of travel.

and do not exclude Chinese stocks elsewhere of the region as a show of strength.

Security analysts disagreed on Tuesday on the scale of any threats en route and the need for additional military protection.

The biggest risk during Pelosi’s journey is that a Chinese show of force “goes wrong or some kind of incident resulting from a display of provocative action, “said Mark Cozad, interim associate director of The Rand Corp’s Center for Defense and International Security Policy.

“So that it could be a plane crash. It could be some kind of missile test, and again, when you do that sort of thing, there is always a chance that it will happen. something goes wrong“.

Barry Pavel, director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, laughed that US officials had considered using aircraft carriers and warplanes to ensure the safety of the House Speaker.

“Obviously, the White House doesn’t want the president to go And I think that’s why some of these suggestions are made. “

“He will not go with an army”, Pavel said.

They also said the increased US military presence to protect Pelosi could increase tensions.

“It is entirely possible that … our deterrence attempts are actually sending a very different signal than what we intend to send,” Cozad said. “And then you enter a sort of growing spiral, where our attempts at deterrence are seen as more and more provocative and vice versa. And this can be a very dangerous dynamic.”

On Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry declined to comment on the presidential phone call. However, spokesman Zhao Lijian reiterated China’s warnings about a possible visit by Pelosi.

“If the United States persists in doing what it wants and in questioning China’s approach, it will surely find strong answers,” Zhao told reporters during a daily briefing. “All the ensuing consequences it will be the responsibility of the United States“.

Milley said this week that the number of interceptions by the United States and other partner forces by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region has increased significantly in the past five years. He noted that the Beijing army has become much more aggressive and dangerous and the number of dangerous interactions has increased by similar proportions.

The US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and his strike group are currently operating in the Western Pacific and have stopped over in Singapore over the weekend. At least two other Navy ships participate in the strike group and Carrier Air Wing 5, which includes F / A-18 fighters, helicopters and surveillance aircraft.

Before arriving at the port of Singapore, the strike group had operated in the South China Sea. In addition, another Navy ship, the destroyer USS Benfold, conducted freedom of navigation operations in the region last week that included passing through the Taiwan Strait.

By Lolita C. Baldor and Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press

Translation: Elisa Carnelli

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