 US-China relations are again in danger. US House of Representative Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy's possible trip to Taiwan has alarmed the Pentagon. The US Department of Defense is getting ready to see Beijing responding to the visit in the same way it did when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to the island in 2022. That is, by displaying its military might. US and Chinese officials maintain contact trying to stabilize relations between the two countries. As for Washington, it seems to kill two birds with one stone, calling on Beijing to show restraint on the Taiwan issue and refrain from providing assistance to Russia. Russian Nezavizimaya Gazeta notes, the exact date of McCarthy's trip is unclear. In any case, it will happen after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to China. It's possible that the House Speaker's trip will raise tensions, but I hope that it won't lead to a use of force scenario. When emotions ran high over Pelosi's visit back in August, many commentators said that a real attack might follow military drills. Head of the School of Asian Studies at Higher School of Economics, Andrei Karnaev noted, given the lessons of military activities on the European front, China will exercise the greatest caution, operating on the principle of measure twice, cut once. China has long taken a position, making it clear that it could use force if Taiwan declares independence or indefinitely postpones reunification. The expert explained, scientific director of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Alexander Lukin, believes that US President Joe Biden has actually been written off as a presidential candidate, while McCarthy surely can become one. He wants to show how cool and independent he is and McCarthy doesn't care that creating such a reputation for himself will damage US-China relations. The analyst said.