Talk of Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan angers China

The last time a Speaker of America’s House of Representatives visited Taiwan, the Chinese government could do little more than grumble. Newt Gingrich, who held the position from 1995 to 1999, stopped over in 1997 and met the island’s president at the time, Lee Teng-hui. A few days earlier Mr Gingrich had visited China and warned its leaders that America would intervene if they invaded Taiwan, which China claims. “ok, noted,” he described them as responding. “Since we don’t intend to attack, you won’t have to defend.”