Nancy Pelosi’s Trip to Taiwan Upholds Freedom and Democracy

In saving face, China should be careful not to lose its head

I believe strongly in a One China policy – and that one China is Taiwan. It’s the legitimate China, because it’s the only one where the people vote to decide who will lead them. Meanwhile the imposter China is a totalitarian state where citizens have no guaranteed rights, they live under constant surveillance and their leaders are chosen for them by the all-powerful CCP, or Chinese Communist Party. If you support liberty, democracy, and justice it’s clear which side you’re on.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei this week, despite alarmist threats and disquieting tantrums by the CCP. Like me, she fully supports Taiwan’s right to self-rule, stressing America’s “unwavering commitment”.

“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,” Pelosi said in Taiwan on Tuesday.

By going to Taiwan, the Speaker also reinforced the principle that her Chief of Staff is in control of her itinerary, not Chinese bureaucrats. While President Xi Jinping may be able to oppress his own people and bully smaller Asian nations, as far as I know, he doesn’t have a side gig as Nancy Pelosi’s travel agent.

Pelosi’s daring trip is widely supported in Taiwan, which is tired of China leveraging its increasing power to isolate the island nation. Her strong position on democracy sends a powerful message to Taiwan residents, who need reassurance that the United States will back them if China elects to attack.

We must signal our unwavering support for Taiwan, considering China’s disgraceful behavior in Hong Kong. A once great bastion of freedom and self-expression, Hong Kong is now a hostage to Chinese domination. Overnight, they have degraded the city’s liberty and destroyed its democracy. China lied to the world when it took over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom, promising “one country, two systems.” After crushing dissent in Hong Kong and installing one draconian system, no one should be fooled again by China’s intensions.

The only rational argument for Pelosi postponing her trip to Taipei was that China could step-up support for Russia in its stalemated war with Ukraine. However, the United States and Europe have leverage too, with China relying on these mega-markets to continue economic growth. If Beijing believes that it can maintain its economic success by trading with Russia, Iran and Belarus, we should smile and wish them luck.

China is a huge country. They don’t need Taiwan to continue moving forward and advancing as a nation. If China truly wanted Taiwan to rejoin the mainland, they would choose democracy and create a new constitution that respects freedom and human dignity. If they took these steps, peaceful reunification would be conceivable and even likely over time. But why would anyone in Taiwan choose to surrender their rights to join a totalitarian country?

China has nothing of value to offer the people of Taiwan and provides no tangible promise on how they would improve their lives. The humiliating failure of China’s coronavirus vaccine, the harsh quarantine in major cities and abject failure to match Taiwan’s microchip technology, proves that China is currently an unattractive country for Taiwan to join.  Thus, China is left with nothing but bullying and bluster – and warning of a machine gun marriage. 

If you need further proof that Nancy Pelosi’s visit was the correct move, consider that it was condemned by Donald Trump. On Truth Social, his failed social media boondoggle, the former president wrote:

“Why is Crazy Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan. Always causing trouble. Nothing she does turns out well.”  

So, says the guy who exchanged “love letters”, and even met with, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, while he continued to build his nuclear arsenal at America’s expense.

The best way to ensure peace and stability is for the United States to heavily arm Taiwan with sophisticated weapons so it can defend itself. It should also keep an active military presence in the area to serve as a formidable deterrent to Chinese aggression. This should include upgrading force capabilities and modernizing the Navy, to ensure that a Chinese attack on Taiwan, or its neighbors, is an unacceptably risky gambit.  

The United States must also continue sailing in international waters off the Chinese coast to send an unmistakable message that China must play by international rules. I understand the need for Xi to politically to save face, but China should be careful not to lose its head. If the Russian debacle in Ukraine proves one thing, it’s that totalitarian nations that install loyal “yes-men” in leadership positions, tend to grossly overestimate their military capabilities. While army parades in Tiananmen Square or Red Square are entertaining, war becomes a bit more complicated when well-armed democratic forces are returning fire.

In the United States, where fascism is on the rise and our political system under threat, we should learn from Hong Kong that once freedom is lost, it’s very difficult to reclaim. We should also learn from Taiwan, to appreciate the freedom that we have and to not squander it. Nancy Pelosi’s trip is a reminder that most Americans still believe in democracy and human rights at home and abroad. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for exporting real American values and serving as the embodiment of Lady Liberty, holding your torch up high for the world to see, and lighting the path to freedom.