Retired Gen. David Petraeus Warns: ‘There Will Be Repercussions’ from Pelosi Taiwan Trip

WATCH: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan Tuesday despite strong warnings from China.

Retired General David Petraeus: “There are a lot of different takes on this … The one that is generally, broadly agreed is there will be repercussions. … There sort of has to be.” pic.twitter.com/pcrTlFvFOp

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 3, 2022

According to one prominent foreign affairs expert, it’s only a matter of time before China seeks some type of payback for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan.

Appearing on Meet the Press NOW on the NBC News NOW streaming platform, retired General David Petraeus — former director of the CIA — told host Kristen Welker that China is all but certain to respond adversely to Pelosi’s visit.

“There are a lot of different takes on this,” Petraeus said. “But the one that is generally, broadly agreed is there will be repercussions as a result of this. There sort of have to be.”

Petraeus noted that China’s President, Xi Xinping, is in the midst of a re-election campaign.

“The pressure will be on him,” Petraeus said. “He will have to take actions.”

“Military actions?” Welker asked.

“No,” Petraeus clarified. “You’ll see live fire exercises. You’ll see demonstrations. No one wants to see a confrontation.”

Pelosi spelled out her reasons for making the trip in a Washington Post op-ed Tuesday.

“The Taiwan Relations Act set out America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan, providing the framework for an economic and diplomatic relationship that would quickly flourish into a key partnership. It fostered a deep friendship rooted in shared interests and values: self-determination and self-government, democracy and freedom, human dignity and human rights.

And it made a solemn vow by the United States to support the defense of Taiwan: “to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means … a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”

Today, America must remember that vow. We must stand by Taiwan, which is an island of resilience.

The White House said Monday that Pelosi’s visit does not change the U.S. position on Taiwan independence.

“We do not support Taiwan independence,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Watch above, via NBC News NOW.