A war of words between the US and China over Taiwan could easily escalate and is being closely watched in European capitals, Politico writes, citing European diplomats.

As tensions rise between the world's two biggest superpowers, Beijing is stepping up its threats over a possible visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in the coming days.

From Brussels to Paris, EU officials are reluctant to weigh this dispute in public. Behind the scenes, however, European diplomats acknowledge that there is a clear danger that the situation could spiral out of control.

Analysts are urging EU leaders to pay attention and prepare for the trouble ahead.

Pelosi went on a tour of Asia. Taiwan is not included in the official agenda of the visit, but many do not rule out that Pelosi will visit the island, despite warnings from the US administration and threats from China.

China insists that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would be a flagrant violation of the One China policy governing the status of the territory and a signal of American support for Taiwan independence. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed his position last week during a call with Joe Biden.

In public, most other European capitals were more careful in their comments. Asked about the threat of China's military response to Pelosi's visit, the French foreign ministry and the EU's foreign policy arm declined to comment.

One EU diplomat said that silence should be expected at this stage, given that Taiwan is primarily seen as a US interest, but the reaction will be different if words translate into action.