After the Chinese Civil War, opponents of the Communist Party seized power in Taiwan, a strategically located island nation claimed by China and seen by the United States and its allies as crucial to stability in the region.

Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it would "fundamentally upset the US-China relationship" if Nancy Pelosi chose to visit Taiwan, the South China Morning Post reported.

Turns to Biden in protest

Although Nancy Pelosi in her role as speaker of the House of Commons does not represent the White House, the fact that she and the president belong to the same party means that a possible visit could be perceived as an overture by the sitting government in Washington DC, explains researcher Sheryn Lee at the Foreign Policy Institute, UI .

Financial Times sources claim that China has hinted in its talks with the president that it may strike back militarily.

For America's allies, it has always been about when – not if – China resorts to violence.

- South Korea and Japan expect to try to take over Taiwan within ten to thirty years.

Without the United States, they cannot withstand an attack from China, says Sheryn Lee to SVT.

- Therefore, Japan has now committed to expanding its defense budget to assure the US that it will do its part.

Three ways to get the most out of your visit

According to researcher Sheryn Lee, there are several ways to mitigate the risks that Nancy Pelosi's visit brings.

- Pelosi cannot back down, but she can be smarter by partly focusing on Taiwan's importance economically and partly making sure to visit several countries in the region, which she intends to do, to emphasize that stability benefits everyone, she says.

- The third way to get the most out of your visit is to bring along Republican congressmen.

The last time a US president visited Taiwan was in 1997. He was a Republican and brought Democrats with him, a strategy Pelosi should learn from, according to Sheryn Lee.

- In that way, it is less about politics and more about the overall interests of the United States, she says.

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Ever since 1949, the People's Republic of China has aimed to reunite the island of Taiwan with the mainland.

Photo: SVT