What US-China game of chicken over Pelosi and Taiwan means for Southeast Asia

Name: Xi warns Biden that US ‘playing with fire’ as tensions soar over Pelosi’s proposed Taiwan visit
Uploaded: 2022-07-31T15:00:23.000Z
Duration: 3 min 13 s
Description: Xi warns Biden that US ‘playing with fire’ as tensions soar over Pelosi’s proposed Taiwan visit

Uncertainty over how forcefully the US and Beijing will support their positions means no third party would want to step in, analysts note

Current sabre-rattling is all about intimidation, with domestic issues the real priority, Indian and Indonesian observers believe

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s upcoming trip to Asia will include Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her office said, but made no mention of Taiwan. Photo: AP

Minnie Chan

Published: 11:00pm, 31 Jul 2022

As a possible Taiwan visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparks explosive rows between Beijing and Washington, the reaction from Southeast Asian nations has been more muted, including calling upon the two rival powers to defuse tensions.

International relations and defence experts say it is understandable that Beijing sees Pelosi’s likely trip as a “provocation”, a move to support “Taiwan independence” in violation of the US’ avowed one-China policy.

Washington, however, says the visit aims to stop mainland China from trying to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force.

Beijing considers self-governed Taiwan to be a renegade province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it back into the fold, stepping up pressure in recent years with intensive naval drills and warplane sorties around it.

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Xi warns Biden that US ‘playing with fire’ as tensions soar over Pelosi’s proposed Taiwan visit

The question is, how far either the US or Beijing will allow this apparent game of chicken to go.