White House: Pelosi has right to visit Taiwan, visit not confirmed
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Amid tensions, the White House defends US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan and says she has the right to visit the island.
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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the White House, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Washington (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has the right to visit Taiwan but has not yet confirmed any travel plans, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, indicated on Monday.
"The speaker has the right to visit Taiwan and the speaker of the House has visited Taiwan before without incident, as have many members of Congress, including this year," Kirby told a briefing.
Kirby: "We will not take the bait or engage in saber-rattling"
The US official said that China appears to be positioning itself to potentially take further military steps in the coming days, including over longer time horizons.
"These potential steps from China could include military provocations, such as firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan, operations that break historical norms such as large-scale air entry into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone … air or naval activities that crossed the median line and military exercises," Kirby claimed.
He added that China can also take actions in diplomatic and economic arenas, including regarding the alleged assertions that the Taiwan strait is not an international waterway.
Kirby said that "We will not take the bait or engage in saber rattling. At the same time, we will not be intimidated. We will keep operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific as we have for decades."
"We're also committed to keeping open lines of communication with Beijing," he pointed out.
In a different context, Kirby confirmed that the new security package for Ukraine set to be approved by US President Joe Biden will include munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and for the 155mm caliber artillery systems.
Pelosi may arrive Tuesday in Taiwan
It is noteworthy that earlier, CNN cited a Taiwanese government official and a US official as saying that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her tour in Asia.
According to CNN, the Taiwanese official said that Pelosi is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight, adding that it is unclear when exactly will the US House Speaker land in the island.
The US official said that Pentagon officials "are working around the clock" on monitoring any Chinese movements in the region and securing a plan to keep Pelosi safe, reported CNN.
In addition, the Taiwanese TVBS channel quoted sources as saying that Pelosi will arrive in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, on Tuesday evening.
On its part, The Wall Street Journal cited a person familiar with Pelosi's visit as saying that some of the US House Speaker meetings have been scheduled for Tuesday evening, but most are set for Wednesday, adding that the meetings are not limited to Taiwanese government officials.
"She’s definitely coming," the person said, indicating that "The only variable is whether she spends the night in Taipei."
