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No full-blown crisis between US and China, expert says

Eurasia Group’s president and founder Ian Bremmer was confident that US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan "had only symbolic importance and didn’t advance US interests"

WASHINGTON, August 6. /TASS/. US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan did not lead to a full-blown crisis between Washington and Beijing, American political scientist Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group’s president and founder, told TASS.

"It’s not a full blown crisis, it’s a calibrated escalation from Beijing on the back of Speaker Pelosi’s trip that will lead to higher tensions between the two countries for a while, probably at least through the upcoming [Chinese Communist] party congress in October or November," he pointed out.

Bremmer was confident that Pelosi’s trip "had only symbolic importance and didn’t advance US interests, which is one reason why President Biden and his administration opposed it." "But unlike China, the United States is a democracy - and a messy one at that - and so it’s more challenging to coordinate strategic foreign policy," the expert added.

Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan drew sharp criticism from Beijing who had warned Washington of serious consequences if the visit took place. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan, which are expected to last until August 7. In addition, Beijing announced the suspension or termination of eight Chinese-US cooperation mechanisms. Besides, China imposed personal sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family.

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