The Chinese military says it will not sit idly by if the US Speaker visits the self-governing island democracy.
Beijing views Taiwan as its territory, and has repeatedly raised the spectre of annexing it by force if necessary.Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. This includes a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.
That balance has looked more precarious with Russia's war against Ukraine: administration officials are watching for signals of what lessons Beijing might be learning, if any, that it could apply to Taiwan. But the spectre of a visit from the Speaker of the House in this incendiary political environment threatens to raise tensions sharply.
President Biden - who last spoke with President Xi in March - has said they will speak over the phone again in the next few days, on a range of topics including Taiwan and other "issues of tension". When then-US Health Secretary Alex Azar flew to Taiwan in 2020, Chinese air force jets crossed over the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait - the narrow waterway between the island and its giant neighbour - within range of Taipei's missiles.
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