Pelosi Taiwan Trip Lesson: Engage Taiwan

Over the past 48 hours, the world’s attention was fixed on the aircraft carrying House speaker Nancy Pelosi and her delegation to Taipei International Airport on the evening of August 2. Ending more than a week of speculation and intensifying threats from Beijing, Pelosi was at long last on Taiwanese soil — the first such visit by a speaker of the House — in a quarter century. Her visit sent a clear signal to the world’s democracies — and to its authoritarians — that freedom-loving countries stand together and will not be deterred.

But there is a lot of work to do.

DT

About the Author

Daniel Twining

Daniel Twining is the president of the International Republican Institute.

JM

About the Author

J. Michael Cole

Michael Cole is the Taipei-based senior adviser on countering foreign authoritarian influence at the International Republican Institute.

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Over the past 48 hours, the world’s attention was fixed on the aircraft carrying House speaker Nancy Pelosi and her delegation to Taipei International Airport on the evening of August 2. Ending more than a week of speculation and intensifying threats from Beijing, Pelosi was at long last on Taiwanese soil — the first such visit by a speaker of the House — in a quarter century. Her visit sent a clear signal to the world’s democracies — and to its authoritarians — that freedom-loving countries stand together and will not be deterred.

But there is a lot of work to do.