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A Pelosi trip to Taiwan is dangerous
A visit to the island could provide the spark that ignites a combustible situation, leading to a crisis that escalates to military conflict.
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US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is said to be planning a stop in Taiwan as part of a trip through Asia.
PHOTO: AFP
Bonnie S. Glaser and Zack Cooper
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(NYTIMES) - The United States and China are on a collision course in the Taiwan Strait.
China's ambitions have risen along with its military power and it may soon be capable of seizing democratically ruled Taiwan - even in a fight with the United States. President Xi Jinping is hoping to get an unprecedented third term later this year and cannot afford to appear weak. He has been increasing pressure on Taiwan and apparently believes the US is abandoning its circumspection about Taiwan's status and may soon formally back the island's independence.
