Earlier in July, media reports announced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would lead a Congressional delegation to visit the Republic of China, also called Taiwan. This will make her the first Speaker to visit the Republic of China since Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Nancy Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan next month to show support for Taipei as it comes under mounting pressure from China, in what would be the first trip by a Speaker of the US House of Representatives to the country in 25 years.

Six people familiar with the situation said Pelosi would take a delegation to Taiwan in August. The 82-year-old California lawmaker cancelled a visit in April after she caught Covid-19.

Pelosi would be the most senior US lawmaker to visit the island since one of her predecessors as Speaker, Republican Newt Gingrich, travelled there in 1997.

Her visit will come as US-China relations remain mired in their worst state since the countries normalised diplomatic relations in 1979 and Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

China, of course, is not happy. China is never happy with any US action that doesn’t involve our national humiliation and a rousing bout of coprophagy by our elected leaders; it has called the trip a “malicious provocation.”

Joe Biden has whined that the Pentagon does not support Pelosi’s trip.

“The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now,” he told reporters on Wednesday evening.

The White House did not respond to a question about who in the military — defence secretary Lloyd Austin or General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs — held that view.

One person familiar with the situation said the military provided several briefings on the topic. “Traditionally, the military only lays out risks and costs associated,” he said.

The Chinese are making a stink as the trip grows closer.

“We have repeatedly made clear our firm opposition to speaker Pelosi’s…visit to Taiwan. If the US insists on…challenging china’s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures. The US must ensure full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof.” pic.twitter.com/1gV59GwRtF

— Fiorella Isabel (@FiorellaIsabelM) July 27, 2022

PLA will not sit idly by if Pelosi visits Taiwan island, Chinese defense ministry warns; indicating PLA ‘fully prepared’ for all scenarios. news.Globaltimes pic.twitter.com/FNtmryfi6s

— Zhang Meifang张美芳 (@CGMeifangZhang) July 27, 2022

The South China Morning Post, which various media outlets want us to believe is not just another government mouthpiece, tells us:

Beijing has already said it would take “forceful measures” and its military “won’t turn a blind eye” if Pelosi went ahead with the trip. Chinese military watchers said Beijing might deploy aircraft carriers and announce a no-fly zone and a restricted navigation zone for military exercises near the Taiwan Strait, which would force Pelosi’s aircraft to make a detour.

Despite the outcry from China and the cuckified foreign policy mavens (see this gem in Foreign Policy, What Does Nancy Pelosi Think She’s Doing in Taiwan?), Pelosi is quietly inviting Republicans and Democrats to accompany her.

I’m not a fan of Nancy Pelosi, but she’s right.

The Republic of China is a key US ally and showing support at a time of increasing threats from the ChiComs is a good thing. Pelosi’s visit to China might be one of the very few things most members of Congress can agree on. That might be overstating it, as no one has yet asked Eric Swalwell his opinion. I think the last Speaker to visit the Republic of China hits all the right notes in this FoxNews appearance.

Mitch McConnell echoes this by saying that if Pelosi backs out now, then she hands China a huge propaganda victory.

I guess losing two wars in as many decades can make people cautious, but we can’t mope our way into the future scared sh**less of what China or Russia or Iran or heaven-knows-who thinks. This is especially true in the case of China. We are facing an aggressive, expansionist power that wants to evict us from the Western Pacific. Our safest course of action is to insist upon our rights and prerogatives as a nation. Our leaders can visit our allies whenever they wish; they don’t need permission. Our ships can travel where they want in international waters. We should all be able to agree on these basic points. If we can’t, we might as well fold right now.