The Visit
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Not gonna lie; I think Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan at this very moment was a terrible idea.
The U.S. could use cordial (if not friendly) relations with Beijing to pursue its goals in other parts of the world. Even if Washington cannot rely on China for friendship, at the very least it could benefit from moderating the degree of animosity. China can hurt the United States in subtle and unsubtle ways, which makes choosing a time and place for conflict particularly important.
The US needs China’s cooperation on a wide array of issues, and while there’s necessarily a degree of conflict and competition it’s not at all a good idea to antagonize Beijing without good cause. There’s no indication that Taiwan at this moment feels particularly vulnerable, nor that the visit does anything to reassure other US allies in the region. Cheryl, Dan and I talk through this a bit on the latest podcast, which should be available this afternoon.