Pelosi to Taiwan would be career capstone, despite warnings

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched her political career being tough on China — a new congresswoman who dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square during a 1991 visit with other U.S. lawmakers shortly after the student massacre.

More than 30 years later, her interest in traveling to Taiwan presents a powerful diplomatic capstone. It has also contributed to tensions at the highest levels in Washington and Beijing among officials who worry a trip could prove provocative.

As the U.S. balances its high-stakes relations with China, whether Pelosi will lead a delegation trip to Taiwan remains unknown. But what is certain is that Pelosi’s decision will be a defining foreign policy and human rights moment for the U.S. and its highest-ranking lawmaker with a long tenure leading the House.

“This is part of who the speaker is,” said Samuel Chu, president of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a Washington-based advocacy organization.

“This is not a one-time, one-off publicity stunt,” said Chu, whose father was among those who met with Pelosi and the U.S. lawmakers three decades ago in Hong Kong. “Thirty years later, she’s still connected.”

Pelosi declined to disclose Wednesday any update on her plans for Taiwan, reiterating that she does not discuss travel plans, as is the norm, for security reasons. The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, confirmed that he was invited to be a part of Pelosi’s bipartisan delegation but is unable to join, though his office said he believes the speaker and other Americans should be able to visit Taiwan.

The Biden administration has declined to publicly weigh in on the rumored visit, though the military is making plans to bolster its security forces in the region to protect her potential travel against any reaction from China. While U.S. officials say they have little fear that Beijing would attack Pelosi’s plane, they are aware that a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety.

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It all comes as President Joe Biden is set to speak Thursday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time in four months, and the potential Pelosi trip is looming over the conversation.

“There’s always issues of security,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declining Wednesday to talk directly about the speaker’s potential travel.

Not since Republican Newt Gingrich led a delegation to Taiwan…