Pyne and Andrews say ‘don’t let Beijing veto Pelosi Taiwan trip’

Two former senior Australian politicians say Beijing must not be allowed a veto over Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

Beijing must not be allowed a veto over Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, say two former senior Australian politicians who have just spent a week in discussions with President Tsai Ing-wen and her advisers.

In an interview with The Australian in Taipei, Christopher Pyne, a former defence and defence industry minister, said cancellation of the US House of Representatives Speaker’s trip would empower Beijing. “I think the worst thing Nancy Pelosi could do is not come because of the precedent it would establish that China can bully senior US politicians,” he said.

Christopher Pyne.

Kevin Andrews, on his fifth trip to Taiwan, said he was not convinced by arguments that the timing was provocative because Chinese President Xi Jinping is months away from breaking Beijing’s previous ­10-year leadership limit. “I don’t think the timing ­really matters,” the former defence minister in the Abbott government, said.

“It’s more the principle that, you know, should some third country be able to say to another one: ‘You can’t have a visitor?’ ”

The two retired politicians last week engaged in hours of talks on Taiwan’s “Porcupine” defence strategy with the most influential decision-makers in Taipei, including Ms Tsai, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Taiwan’s National Security Council.

Neither would reveal the Tsai administration’s private view of the unconfirmed trip by the US Speaker but their comments – made before they left Taiwan after a five-night visit – indicate that government’s concern that if Ms Pelosi cancelled her trip, it would signal weakness to Beijing.

Mr Xi warned US President Joe Biden not to “play with fire” in a frank exchange over Taiwan during a two-hour phone call on Thursday.

Some analysts in Washington worry that Ms Pelosi’s trip — which would be the first by a US Speaker to Taiwan in 25 years — could spark a military crisis.

More than half a dozen Xi administration officials have delivered strident warnings about “consequences” if the trip takes place.

Former prime minister Paul Keating called Ms Pelosi’s trip “foolish, dangerous and unnecessary”. A China’s foreign ministry spokesman praised Mr Keating’s “insight” on Friday, and said Beijing hoped Washington would hear his “voice of reason”.

Raised tensions about the trip come as China continues to increase the tempo of its military activities around Taiwan, a self-governed democracy of 24 million that Beijing claims as its territory.

Australia’s “One-China” policy limits the official exchanges between Canberra and Taipei, making trips by recently retired politicians an important way to share information. Former prime minister Tony Abbott visited Taiwan last October.

Kevin Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Defence issues and scenario planning dominated the often “grave” discussions Mr Pyne and Mr Andrews had with Ms Tsai and her top security advisers, which took place as Taiwan staged its annual Han Kuang series of military exercises to test its defences.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and lessons Taiwan could draw from it, was a constant refrain.

“Taiwan is more militarily … and mentally prepared to defend itself from any aggression – should any aggression come – than it was even three years ago,” said Mr Pyne, who first visited Taiwan in 2019.

“President Tsai was forthright … about challenges facing Taiwan and spent less time in 2022 on diplomatic pleasantries, and more time on how Australia and Taiwan could co-operate better.”

At least four members of the current Australian cabinet have visited Taiwan since 2018. A delegation of Japanese parliamentarians visited Taiwan last week, led by two former defence ministers.