A Chinese media commentator asked people to “pray” for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) ahead of her planned trip to Taiwan.
A social media post from Global Times commentator Hu Xijin did not threaten Pelosi but did ask for others to wish her “a safe journey” on her expected visit. Top White House officials have expressed safety concerns about Pelosi’s travel plans due to high tensions with China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory, even though island leaders have maintained it is self-governed.
“Let her go to Taiwan,” the tweet read. “But pray before departure: wish herself a safe journey and wish herself not be defined by history as a sinner who starts a spiral of escalation process expanding military frictions to a large-scale war in the Taiwan Strait.”
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Let her go to Taiwan. But pray before departure: wish herself a safe journey and wish herself not be defined by history as a sinner who starts a spiral of escalation process expanding military frictions to a large-scale war in the Taiwan Strait. pic.twitter.com/OuLsaAW3OP
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) August 1, 2022
Xijin warned on Saturday that if Pelosi visited Taiwan, China would carry out “severe punishment” on Taiwan after saying Friday that U.S. fighter jets escorting Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan would be considered an “invasion.”
Pelosi released an itinerary for her trip to Asia over the weekend that included stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, with Taiwan not listed. She has already started her trip, and she landed in Singapore on Monday.
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Taiwanese defense officials have canceled the leave of some soldiers and officers “to immediately prepare” for the chance of war in response to Pelosi’s visit to Asia, according to local reports.
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe criticized the Biden administration on Sunday for how it has handled the speculation of Pelosi visiting Taiwan, saying Chinese President Xi Jinping is capitalizing on President Joe Biden’s “weakness.”
