joe biden, three times in the last 18 months or so has given a hint he may be taking a much harder line. so tensions between china and the us are in a real bind at the moment and it is over taiwan. given the us administration seems to be signalling a change of policy, or potentially a change of policy, it is not surprising china should take particular umbrage at this visit, the first by a senior politician in a quarter of a century. there are ambassadorial changes all the time and what you might call more routine visits, but not at this high level. it has been made a big thing in the united states, she might not be part of the administration, but she is a pretty close ally of the president? there isjoe biden, the vice president and the speaker of the house, in terms of the order of the chain of command in this country. she is a huge figure and is hugely significant.
earlier in the year, but nancy pelosi got covid at that time. i think she is coming perhaps to the end of her time as speaker, she may not hold that post after november s mid term election. so this might be, in some sense, a swan song for her. but it is also a reflection, if you like, of the heightened problems in that part of the east china sea, around taiwan. america has warned of serious chinese provocations that have been increasing over the last six months and it wants to demonstrate that nancy pelosi is helping the administration, demonstrate its resolve to defend democracy in taiwan. the policy for years has been one of ambiguity, one of strategic ambiguity, keeping china guessing on how and what way america would defend taiwanese democracy. but that policy may be on the move.
has been shifting significantly even in the last five to ten years. we have heard about some military actions tomorrow? thea;r we have heard about some military actions tomorrow? actions tomorrow? they are flying fi i hter ets actions tomorrow? they are flying fighterjets already actions tomorrow? they are flying fighterjets already and actions tomorrow? they are flying fighterjets already and there i actions tomorrow? they are flying | fighterjets already and there were reports of some of the fighter jets dropping the median line, although china neverformally dropping the median line, although china never formally recognise the median line. they are more on the us side than the taiwan site. in many ways, most people feel they will be some kind of a major show of force as a reaction. one person in china described it as a giant chess piece that has been moved. once the move has been made, china has to have its counter move. what next is the big
celia hatton, bbc news. liz truss has criticised nancy pelosi s visit, calling for a de escalation. i pelosi s visit, calling for a de-escalation. pelosi s visit, calling for a de-escalation. ., ., , , de-escalation. i do not support china s inflammatory de-escalation. i do not support china s inflammatory languagel de-escalation. i do not support i china s inflammatory language on this issue. it is perfectly reasonable what is taking place and i urge china to de escalate. reasonable what is taking place and i urge china to de-escalate.- i urge china to de-escalate. earlier i urge china to de-escalate. earlier i s-oke to i urge china to de-escalate. earlier i spoke to gary i urge china to de-escalate. earlier i spoke to gary o donoghue - i urge china to de-escalate. earlier i spoke to gary o donoghue who i i urge china to de-escalate. earlier. i spoke to gary o donoghue who told me why nancy pelosi was visiting taiwan, in spite of china s warnings and those from the pentagon. she