Taiwan

It’s roughly 9:00 am on Tuesday, the second day of August, in Taipei right now. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, will be landing in Taiwan via a US military aircraft within twelve hours. The Chinese government has warned that they see this move as an invasion, and therefore, could ultimately shoot down the aircraft. It seems quite possible that the world will change for the worse within the next twenty-four hours.

A piece from a few weeks ago highlighted that Americans are not taking China literally. It was written by a Chinese dissident. He explained that they [the Chinese] are not bluffing. Their words are carefully selected, and the warnings that they stress are to be taken as a matter of fact. Knowing this is possible, one must ask why Pelosi is embarking on such a high-stakes mission?

Emperor Xi has recently secured his third term as ruler of China. Allegedly, the most recent call between him and Biden was remarkably contentious, and included a portion centering around Taiwan. China does not recognize the island as a sovereign nation. They see the island as part of their territory, and reunification with Taiwan is not a matter of if, but when. The commentary that came from China in the days leading up to Pelosi’s visit was crystal clear. Enter the airspace with a US military aircraft, and face repercussions. It is unfathomable today to believe Pelosi’s plane could be shot down. However, it’s equally unfathomable to think China would state something so candid and not act in any capacity during, or after, the fact.

China not acting would destroy its credibility, and in turn, be a tremendous embarrassment for the world’s number two superpower on the world stage. A very large part of their domestic and international policy hinges on their view that Taiwan is part of China. This claim would be discredited overnight if China simply sat idly by as Pelosi landed on the island with a US military aircraft. It’s also important to understand how fast tensions between the US and China would escalate if, in fact, we are to take them [the Chinese] at their word. The world would almost instantly be staring down the prospects of a hot war between the two biggest military powers. And, do not forget that both powers have tremendous nuclear arsenals.

Nothing is certain. But, what appears to be increasingly likely is that the world will change forever in the next twenty-four hours as American and Chinese relations rapidly deteriorate to their lowest levels in decades, if ever. Again, one really needs to ask the simple question of, ‘why?’ Why is the Biden administration permitting this? Why is Pelosi doing this? It seems there is nothing to gain, and almost everything to lose by embarking on this suicide mission. What is the American government trying to prove, or accomplish? It feels as if this is an intentional way to destroy America. The way it has felt for months now regarding American economic actions that have driven up prices and restrained supplies. But again, why? It’s likely too late to ask that question.