Staff Reports
The Associated Press reports that the U.S. military is preparing for a potential confrontation in the Pacific in advance of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's likely August visit to Taiwan.
If Pelosi follows through with her scheduled Taiwan trip, the Pentagon will increase troop movements and security measures in the Pacific. China is unlikely to strike Pelosi's plane directly, according to individuals familiar with the situation, but senior authorities are concerned that her presence could inflame tensions between the United States and China over Taiwan.
General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Associated Press, “If there’s a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit,” “And I’ll just leave it at that.”
Officials refused to disclose specifics but said that fighter jets, ships, and monitoring equipment could be used to construct redundant shields surrounding Pelosi. CNN said that China has sent warplanes into Taiwan's claimed air defense identification zone as a possible countermeasure to China's threat to establish a no-fly zone over Taiwan if Pelosi visits Taiwan.
According to the AP, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking elected politician to visit Taiwan in the past quarter century. Even though heightened security is common for high-level official trips abroad, the safeguards would exceed those done for trips to less dangerous destinations.
In recent months, tensions between the United States and China have increased over a conflict involving Taiwan, a freely administered territory that China considers to be part of the mainland.
Milley stated on Sunday that the number of dangerous interceptions between U.S. and Chinese forces in the South Pacific has increased in 2022, and China has used unusually strong language against the U.S. prior to Pelosi's possible visit, according to the Financial Times, which cited six people with direct knowledge of the warnings.
China confirmed previous threats of possible military action if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi carries out her threats on Monday.
“If the US side insists on making the visit, the Chinese side will take firm and strong measures to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lijian continued, “The U.S. must assume full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof."
The Chinese foreign ministry and the office of Pelosi did not respond to calls for comment from the DCNF.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on DailyCaller.
