Lauren Boebert touts Nancy Pelosi’s courage on Taiwan

Representative Lauren Boebert lashed out at Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling him a “coward” while praising Representative Nancy Pelosi in a Twitter post about Taiwanese independence.

Boebert slammed Blinken as he ended a two-day trip to meet with China’s top officials. His visit was marred by what some referred to as a lackluster welcome and several setbacks, including China reportedly refusing to resume communication between its military and United States forces.

Blinken’s visit, which comes amid mounting tensions between the two countries, marks the first time in five years that a secretary of state has traveled to China. America’s chief diplomat was initially scheduled to visit in February, but his trip was postponed after the U.S. accused China of flying a spy balloon over U.S. airspace. The trip sparked a wave of criticism on social media, where opponents also pointed to China’s designs on Taiwan and allegations of human rights abuses.

During a press conference in Beijing on Monday, Blinken said the U.S. does “not support Taiwan independence.”

“We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side,” he said. “We continue to expect the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences. We remain committed to continuing our responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act including making sure Taiwan has the ability to defend itself.”

Boebert assailed Blinken over his remarks.

“Antony Blinken flatly said he doesn’t support Taiwanese independence,” she said on Twitter. “No surprise that these cowards fully support Communist China.”

Boebert has been vocal in her support for Taiwan and co-sponsored a bill in 2021 that called on President Joe Biden to “abandon the One China policy in favor of one that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country that is not a part of China.”

The Colorado Republican offered rare praise for Pelosi in the tweet.

Pelosi, then the House speaker, made headlines in August when she appeared to go against the wishes of the Biden administration and visited Taiwan. During her visit, she said the U.S. was “committed” to the security of self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory and has considered annexing by force.

Beijing reacted to her trip with outrage and military drills.

“I still remember when Pelosi visited Taiwan and Biden begged her not to go. Even she had more courage on the issue,” Boebert said on Twitter.

Newsweek reached out to Boebert via email and Twitter for comment.

Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, said in a statement that during talks with Chinese officials, Blinken “underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated there has been no change to the U.S. one China policy, based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.”

Blinken tweeted on Monday that he had a “candid, substantive and constructive” dialogue with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “We discussed a range of important issues, including the need to manage our relationship responsibly,” he said on Twitter.