It is quite surprising that Western mainstream commentators have been lambasting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan, because of the fact that China bashing is a favorite sport in the United States and some European countries.
Pelosi, 82, sneaked into the Chinese island in the dark, before midnight on Tuesday, and flew out on Wednesday afternoon to boost her ego and increase the prospects of Democrats in the US midterm elections in November, which the Democrats look likely to lose, and boost the prospects of Democrats in the US midterm elections in November. The CBS News survey shows Republicans start the 2022 campaign with a lead, with the likelihood of having 230 seats in the House, 205 for the Democrats.
That is why Pelosi insists on making the trip despite President Joe Biden telling journalists that US military officials believe it is not a good idea for her to visit Taiwan, and Biden's national security team explaining to Pelosi why she should not visit Taiwan now.
The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote a scathing commentary on Monday, calling Pelosi's trip to Taiwan utterly reckless, dangerous and irresponsible. Friedman wrote that Taiwan's current leadership, in its heart of hearts, wants this Pelosi visit because a lot of bad things could happen, and Taiwan will not be more secure or prosperous as a result of this purely symbolic visit. Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the US and known for her close Taiwan relationships, and Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former official at the Pentagon and the White House, argued that Pelosi's trip is too dangerous in their joint essay in The New York Times.
I have often disagreed with Glaser on Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, but she was right this time saying that Biden's misstatements on Taiwan are undermining the carefully devised policy that has kept the peace for decades, referring to the US president's remarks that the White House staff quickly walked back his comment.
Glaser and Cooper warned that a single spark could ignite a combustible situation into a crisis that escalates to military conflict. The former US ambassador to China, Max Baucus, said in an editorial on Monday that Pelosi's visit is a moment of danger that calls for responsibility and restraint from both sides. The risk of Pelosi's visit should not be underestimated as Western media and pundits have been criticizing Pelosi for doing something truly dangerous and dangerous, which risks a direct military confrontation between China and the US due to possible miscalculations.
It is reckless and dangerous for Pelosi to challenge the one-China principle and threaten China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, something that the 1.4 billion Chinese people will never tolerate, and their determination to defend them should never be underestimated.
I pray that there will never be a war in the Taiwan Straits. Senior Western politicians, such as Pelosi, who is second in line to the US presidency, should not be condoned for acting recklessly and irresponsibly, increasing the possibility of a war. The author is chief of the China Daily EU Bureau based in Brussels and has not condoned those on the Chinese island who pursue Taiwan independence.