House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan this week, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the self-ruled island in 25 years. The trip has already heightened tensions between the U.S. and China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Ari Aramesh, national security and foreign policy analyst, breaks down the political implications of the visit, and what it means for the U.S. moving forward.

Cheddar's News Wrap

Nancy Pelosi Visits Taiwan, Defying China's Warnings

and in other news, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi touched down in Taipei Taiwan this morning becoming the highest ranking U. S. Official to visit the self ruled island in 25 years the visit has already heightened tensions between the US and china which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. China had warned of quote serious consequences if Pelosi were to go ahead with the trip. Here to discuss is our er Ramesh national Security and foreign policy analyst Ari thank you so much for joining us. Let's break down the different dynamics at play here. Why is this trip getting so much attention? So the US policy has always been to recognize Taiwan as part of china. It's our one china policy but on the other hand we are the largest military supplier and the most important security guarantor of the Republic of china that is Taiwan. We're not talking about the people's republic of china, that's china communist china. We're talking about Taiwan. So on the one hand we've always told the Taiwanese that you're part of mainland china we've always committed to the chinese that hey Taiwan is part of May and china but well we've guaranteed Taiwan security. So you see there is a bit of a back and forth here. Secondly Taiwan being a key U. S. Ally and the strait of Taiwan that south china sea all these water bodies of water and also especially in the sort of pacific region and in East Asia. We know that china is on the rise and we know that china is trying to expand its sphere of influence. Now Taiwan, the chinese believe that it's in its immediate sphere of influence as part of its territory. The same way Hong kong is uh big question is this what would happen if the chinese were to take military action to annex or reunify Taiwan with mainland china? What would happen a few months back? President biden was asked the same question and in a response that some people said was a gaffe. But president never backtrack from it. President biden said yes the United States military will get involved at the U. S. Is committed to defending Taiwan militarily against a chinese military aggression. Uh the White House National Security Council spokesperson, the White House Press Secretary and a whole host of people tried to backtrack and say while we're committed to Taiwan's security, you know the President but the president never took back what he said. Let's fast forward to today. Now nancy Pelosi has always been on the forefront of pushing for human rights, more human rights sort of pressure on people's Republic of china in Communist china. She was one of the very few members of Congress who visited Tiananmen Square after that brutal crackdown and she was forcibly removed by the local authorities by by by the police in in china. She also comes from san Francisco a district that has a sizable chinese american population, not to mention she is the second most important in D. C. The third most important constitutionally. But after the President, Speaker of the House is by far the most important person in Washington because they call the shots and when legislation goes and comes and so on and so forth yet. Yes they're second in line of succession. But the vice president doesn't have much power. So all these adding up. And also the recent US china tensions and this has been brewing since the days of Obama and then trump and now and the chinese threaten you know made some threats. I'm glad Speaker Pelosi called those you know bluffs and land it there. But again you can't uh sort of Sort of a be held hostage just by the fact that a superpower or a power a rising superpower wants you to behave in a certain way. If we start behaving in a certain way that the Chinese want us now imagine how far worse it's gonna get. 10 1520 years down the road when they actually do have more power. Now you mentioned these as bluffs. You know china did make strong warnings against the US from visiting and nancy Pelosi's trip from actually visiting Taiwan now that it's actually happening. What do you think china is going to respond? Will they actually take action against Taiwan since this visit is happening? You know there's been some military exercises. I think there were some flight overpasses over Taiwan strait of Taiwan and the US move that's uh you know battle carrier battle group to the region. So the U. S. Also moved around some of its naval vessels. Any saber rattling coming from Beijing will get a very strong response. I should get a very strong response from the U. S. Because it will deter those decision makers in Beijing from making a decision that is irrevocable. Yes the U. S. Military might is unchallenged and it's as long as we have this unchallenged military might we should guarantee stability in the region. We should guarantee that china does not swallow up Taiwan. And again it is now time to draw this line in the sand to make sure that china does not get away with dictating to our policy makers where they can go what they can do and what they can say. Now let's go back to this sort of grievance between the White House and the Speaker of the House. Yes apparently State Department and the White House were not too keen on the speakers visiting china. But let's be honest she flew on an Air Force plane. She flew probably with the you know full knowledge of the White House that she was going to go there. And again she's from the same party. This is not President trump and Speaker Pelosi one you know preventing the other from flowing you know on an air force planes and the other one disinviting the ladder from coming to the state from coming to the House of Representatives to give the State of the union. This is president biden and Speaker nancy Pelosi we're talking about. So uh I think in a way the White House is and they will not admit that, but I think they are pleased that someone not from the executive branch, someone not from the State Department, not not executive ST antony Blinken, not sec def you know, Lloyd Austin, but it's someone from the legislative branch who represents a smaller district, not the entire nation, but in a sense, she's the speaker of the House. So she has that legitimate mandate. She's going there and defending our democratic allies. You know, focus on what Pelosi was saying today. Democratic allies, democratic values and a small tiny democracy run by rule of law that is being threatened by its giant neighbor china communist china. All right, thank you so much for that insight there. That's our er Ramesh national security and foreign policy analyst.