Chinese leader tells Biden to stop Pelosi from going to Taiwan
Just days before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew to Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged President Biden to find a way to stop Pelosi from visiting.
Chinese officials have issued numerous warnings to US counterparts about what China might do in retaliation for Pelosi's visit.
Biden had told Xi he could not help, explaining that Congress was an independent branch of government and would make its own decisions regarding Pelosi's foreign travels, the official said.
The official said Biden warned Xi that he would take provocative and coercive action if the Speaker of the House was stopped from traveling to Taiwan.
US officials were also concerned about the timing of Pelosi's visit, shortly before Xi sought to secure his third term in power and the geopolitical influence that followed.
Yet Pelosi was not impressed by White House officials' arguments. Administration officials said China could step up its action in the region, but the timeline for doing so could be pushed forward.
“The support for preventing Taiwan from being isolated and preserving the status quo is bipartisan and bicameral,” Pelosi said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“This respect for Taiwan and rejection of violence is shared by the President as witnessed by his recent statements.”
White House officials declined to share details about the trip with the media, saying they found the pre-travel propaganda unhelpful and did not want the information to leak out before his final visit