Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to consider the risk of “escalating tensions with China” should she take her reported trip to Taiwan to highlight human rights abuses.
According to Coons, Pelosi’s trip could lead to “a significant distraction” should the United States end up “in an escalatory situation around Taiwan and its status.”
“I have great respect for the speaker and her long record of leadership in foreign affairs, and I trust that she’ll consult closely with the [Biden] administration and make the right choice,” Coons said. “At this moment, it could be a significant distraction if we ended up in an escalatory situation around Taiwan and its status, but I have confidence that the speaker will do the right thing in this moment.”
“But in your judgment, senator, better for the speaker to hold off, at least for now, on that visit to Taiwan?” co-host Willie Geist asked.
“You know, I think she needs to weigh the input that she gets from the administration, from the president, from our intelligence community,” Coons replied. “I do think it risks escalating tensions with China, but I also respect the ways that the speaker over and over has highlighted human rights abuses within China and has stood up for the rights of people in the Indo-Pacific region broadly.”
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