US Military Moving Assets To Protect US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Visit To Taiwan

A MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor is seen on the flight deck aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli. The Tripoli is now near Okinawa. © U.S. Navy

Nikkei: U.S. deploys ships and planes near Taiwan as Pelosi eyes visit 

TOKYO -- The U.S. military is moving assets, including aircraft carriers and large planes, closer to Taiwan ahead of an anticipated but unconfirmed visit to the island by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

The military was initially opposed to the speaker's visit but now looks to be creating a buffer zone for Pelosi's plane, in case she decides to go ahead with the controversial stop. 

But with China declaring that it would "never sit idly by" if she were to visit the island, tensions in East Asia have quickly escalated, perhaps against the will of both U.S. President Joe Biden, who was seeking to remove some tariffs on Chinese goods to counter inflation, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who faces a sensitive political season at home with his rule extension on the line.

A reporter for local network TVBS tweeted that the speaker is expected to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday evening.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The Chinese are also moving military assets .... PLA conducts mock night time drills amid Pelosi's possible Taiwan visit (Global Times).