By Bonnie Kristian
Taipei has become a routine destination for US lawmakers and other officials since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in early August. Her trip was soon followed by a congressional contingent led by Senator Ed Markey, then a team of trade negotiators helmed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, and then, last Thursday night, a third congressional delegation.
President Joe Biden’s administration reportedly encouraged Pelosi to skip her trip and is likely no more pleased with the subsequent flurry of American visits to the independent, democratic island that Beijing claims as its own. But it has been busy with Taipei, too.
The administration recently formalized plans for US-Taiwan trade talks this autumn to address topics including Chinese “economic coercion,” and the Biden Defense Department has signed off on five weapons sales to Taipei. More and bigger arms deals are likely coming soon, given Taiwan’s intent to boost military spending by 13.9% next year.
Beijing, of course, has responded vociferously at every turn, encroaching on Taiwanese defense boundaries by sea and air, vehemently condemning each US outreach, and issuing public reminders that “‘Taiwan independence’ means war.”
The precarity of the moment is enough to draw speculation that the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis has already begun. And whether that’s true or further crises may still be averted, policymakers in Washington would be wise to consider seriously the disproportionate interests at stake here, the security dilemma leading toward destructive escalation, and the need to tread carefully with China for Taiwan’s security – and America’s own.
This piece was originally published in Asia Times on August 30, 2022. Read more HERE.