Heartland political expert weighs in on Speaker Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan sparks controversy and raises tensions with China.

The speaker is the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

The trip has bi-partisan support Capitol Hill, even as it’s increased tensions between the U.S. and China.

In the Heartland, one political expert calls Pelosi’s visit an important one that has the world watching.

“I wouldn’t caution people or urge people to be terrified, but it is something that’s concerning,” said John Shaw, director of SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Shaw said Speaker Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan could increase the tensions between the U.S. and China.

“China has its eye on Taiwan more so than it has probably in recent memory. And so, for the house speaker to go in that kind of charged environment has raised a lot of questions, the Biden administration is kind of quietly signaled they didn’t want her to go, sometimes not so quietly,” Shaw said.

He said congressional meetings with foreign leaders are a good thing, but this trip comes at a difficult time.

“Sometimes they come at difficult times and can cause, you know, more harm than good. Probably in a perfect world, the speaker would not be going on this trip but she’s determined to do so,” Shaw said.

He said the Chinese government issued stark warnings regarding Pelosi’s visit.

“Had a provocative response via the cyber world, and has been flying planes around the Taiwan straight and all,” he said.

Shaw said China could find ways to retaliate.

“And so I think it’s unlikely that there would be a overt planned war, over her visit. But when you have planes flying within you know almost feet of each other. And lots of provocative rhetoric and a lot hot words being exchanged. I mean it adds an element of danger to an environment that’s already dangerous,” he said.

Speaker Pelosi is also set to make visits to South Korea and Japan on this trip.

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