US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy planning Taiwan visit amid China's invasion fears: Report

The Pentagon is in the early stages of planning for the US House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, to travel abroad including an expected visit to Taiwan later this year, Punchbowl News reported on Monday, citing an official directly involved in the talks. The Taiwan visit is expected sometime in the spring, according to officials in the Biden administration. This move will be a statement in the making that the house, now controlled by Republicans, will put major focus on China. 

A trip to Taiwan, while keeping in mind China's usually heated response, is going to be difficult and tricky to organise for the Pentagon. Considering the security logistics alone, it would be on top of the radar at the Biden's White House as well. Republicans under McCarthy’s leadership have made countering Beijing a priority, with a select committee on US-China competition established this month as one of the first legislative acts of the new Congress, reported South China Morning Post. Taiwan’s defence has been a key agenda item for Republican congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, McCarthy’s pick to lead the committee.

When former Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled there last year, China ramped up its military drills near the island as an intimidation tactic and its top officials railed against the visit as a violation of long-standing U.S. policy toward Taiwan. McCarthy expressed support for Pelosi’s trip at the time and said that he would “love” to visit Taiwan if he were elected speaker. The Biden administration was initially opposed to Pelosi visiting Taiwan citing the potential for an escalation of tensions with China, but made no apologies to Beijing once she made the rounds in Taipei, insisting afterwards that the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches gave him no authority to stop the Democrat House speaker.

Yet another showdown between Washington and Beijing

If Speaker McCarthy follows through, it would set up yet another diplomatic showdown between the United States and China. US officials believe that Taiwan is under growing threat of an invasion by Beijing and lawmakers have been pushing the Biden administration to take a harder line on the issue. A handful of other lawmakers have traveled to Taiwan in recent months and faced similar threats from China. Indiana's Republican Senator Todd Young was in Taipei this past week.

Pelosi flew on a US military jet to the island nation and her trip was well received at home and in Taiwan. This time around, the administration is being more proactive when it comes to planning a potential McCarthy visit, reported Punchbowl News.

The Pentagon and McCarthy’s office declined to comment on this report. In the meantime, Congress has already boosted security assistance to Taiwan as part of the annual defense policy bill, and the White House has asked for approval of billions of dollars worth of weapons sales.