Bold, stupid, intriguing, mysterious, and an unnecessary risk are all terms used to describe an unprecedented trip made by the person with the third highest government rank in the U.S.
On Aug. 1, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) made a stunning trip to Taiwan. As Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, she is the highest ranked person in American government to visit the region in over 25 years. One reason that U.S. officials dare not to venture there is due to China’s stance that they own the rights to Taiwan, even though Taiwan disagrees.
In an op-ed piece to a publication, Pelosi said that she made the trip to the distributed region in order to show solidarity with Taiwan. The trip to that area came as Pelosi was already leading a delegation through the Indo-Pacific region, with stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.
“Our Congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific – including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan – focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.
“Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan – and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo.”
While Pelosi had bipartisan support in making the journey, with even Republicans slamming China’s threats against the Speaker, many have wondered if it was worth the risk. It is believed that a simple statement would have been enough to show support, without a physical visit. Most notably, in the wake of threats made by the Chinese government in warning Pelosi against the journey. Specifically, there were threats of “shooting down” Pelosi’s plane. China also flexed its armed forces muscle with military exercises during the Speaker’s tour.
Despite the threats, Pelosi did leave Taiwan after a day unscathed. Still, was this really just a show of solidarity, or was there an ulterior motive? The U.S. auto sector has struggled mightily during the pandemic, especially since new cars are dependent on specific semiconductor chips that are not easily manufactured domestically. As a result, newer models have been scarce, while older models have gone up exponentially in price.
Taiwan is one of few nations with the capability of producing the chips, with the other key producer being China.
