White House promises ‘safe and secure’ Pelosi trip to Taiwan, if she goes

The United States will ensure that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a “safe and secure” visit to Taiwan if she goes, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.

At a White House press briefing, Kirby repeatedly refused to confirm whether Pelosi would visit Taiwan — which POLITICO confirmed earlier in the day through officials familiar with the itinerary. But when asked by a reporter whether the speaker could be at risk of an attack from China, Kirby confirmed that the government would provide protection.

“We’re going to make sure that she has a safe and secure visit because that’s our responsibility,” he said.

Tension has mounted in recent weeks as discussion about a possible trip by Pelosi to the island grew, which Chinese officials have firmly spoken out about. The speaker, who would be the highest-ranking official to visit the island in decades, has acknowledged concerns that her plane could be shot down by the Chinese military.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, and sees the U.S. posture toward Taiwan as tacit support for the island’s independence.

Kirby on Monday expressed concern about recent military activity on the coast opposite the self-governing island and China’s continuous threats, which he expects to persist in the coming days.

“It does increase the risk of miscalculation, as I said, which could lead to unintended consequences,” Kirby said. “That’s where the risk comes in. It’s not so much that there might be a direct attack, but it raises the stakes of miscalculation and confusion, which could also lead to unintended consequences.”

Last week, President Joe Biden told reporters that the U.S. military believed her potential visit was “not a good idea.”

When it comes to Taiwan, “those who play with fire will eventually get burned,” Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Biden in a phone call last week. In recent days, however, U.S. officials have concluded that China’s threats are only an intimidation tactic, a congressional official told POLITICO on Monday.

“There’s certainly no reason for this to come to blows,” Kirby said. “There’s certainly no reason for this to escalate.”

The speaker was in Singapore on Monday and plans to make stops in Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. POLITICO is withholding the expected date of the speaker’s trip to Taiwan.

“We look forward to productive meetings that will continue to inform Congress’s work to advance our values and interests and strengthen our partnerships in the region,” Pelosi said in a statement over the weekend. Her office has yet to confirm the trip to Taiwan.