On the edge of crisis: Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and repercussions for the U.S.-China rivalry

In: Puti k miru i bezopasnosti, Issue 2, p. 175-187

Abstract

In recent years, the U.S. has vigorously pursued the policy of "using Taiwan to contain mainland China" to thwart China's rise and maintain its hegemonic position. This policy has further exacerbated the China U.S. rivalry in the Taiwan Strait. The audacious visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in August 2022 triggered a systematic countermeasure from China and dramatically exacerbated tensions in the Taiwan Strait. This article first analyzes the purpose of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, then reviews China‟s countermeasures against the visit. The author argues that the tensions in the Taiwan Strait have not escalated into the so-called "Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis" because the policies of the mainland China, the United States, and Taiwan are still self-restrained. However, these tensions have negatively affected China U.S. relations and Cross-Strait relations. 在危机的 边缘 佩洛西 访 台及其 对 中美博弈的冲 击 近年来，为了阻滞中国的持续崛起以维护其霸权地位，美国积极推行"以台制华"的政策，进而提升了中美台海博弈的烈度。2022年8月，美国国会众议院议长佩洛西访问台湾之行引发了中方的系统性反制，显著加剧了台海的紧张形势。本文首先对佩洛西访台事件及其动因进行了分析，其次梳理了中方针对佩洛西访台的全面反制举措，在此基础上指出由于中国大陆、美国与台湾地区均采取了较为克制的应对举措，使得此次台海紧张形势未升级为"第四次台海危机"，但仍对中美关系和两岸关系造成了恶劣的影响。