981: Taiwan, a reliable ally, may be left bereft by Biden. @ChristianWhiton, @GordonGChang
Image: Fort Zeelandia op Taiwan, 1632 Christian Whiton: @ChristianWhiton, Center for the National Interest; and Gordon Chang, @GordonGChang, Daily Beast, in re: Pompeo in Taiwan: how does Taiwan see this? He’s just been telling the truth. Formerly, I could meet with North Korea and all sorts of [regrettable] groups, but to meet Taiwanese I had to sneak around. A major diplomat insult. It’s not even part of the one-China policy. There’s no need to treat Taiwan, a reliable ally, this way. Flag officers weren’t even allowed to travel to Taiwan—a reckless policy. Significance of UN Ambassador’s Kelly Craft’svisit to Taipei: pretty important. Anyone who visits Taiwan immediately sees that this is a free society; we let China get away with threatening war because of Craft’s visit. If Biden reverses this important advance, we’ll [have a lot to pay]. Biden has a mixed reputation; favored [damaging] Radio Free Asia. These guys will want all the trappings of dipl engagement, which China will accord, but not for free. Trump is now trying to elevate this to a degree such that Biden would have to do a visible climb-down to change it. Some of Taiwan’s islands are just a few miles from Mainland; China may steal some of them and dare the rest of the world to do anything.