Why Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Is Utterly Reckless

Aug. 1, 2022

“I have a lot of respect for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But if she does go ahead with a visit to Taiwan this week, against President Biden’s wishes, she will be doing something that is utterly reckless, dangerous and irresponsible.

Nothing good will come of it. Taiwan will not be more secure or more prosperous as a result of this purely symbolic visit, and a lot of bad things could happen. These include a Chinese military response that could result in the U.S. being plunged into indirect conflicts with a nuclear-armed Russia and a nuclear-armed China at the same time.

And if you think our European allies — who are facing an existential war with Russia over Ukraine — will join us if there is U.S. conflict with China over Taiwan, triggered by this unnecessary visit, you are badly misreading the world.”

David Lindsay, comment at the NYT today:

I wrote last week, that Pelosi should only visit Taiwan if the Biden team wants her to. According to Friedman, they do not. So she shouldn’t visit.
Many commenters tear down Friedman’s piece, but his thinking is flawless, and this is not a time to humiliate or anger China, when we need them so badly to not help Russia.