"So I'm about to use four words in a row that I haven't used in this way before, and those four words are: 'Speaker Pelosi was right.'"
Nancy Pelosi was the first speaker of the US House of Representatives in 25 years when she visited Taiwan.
Not everyone was certain. Pelosi may have hurt the cause she was trying to promote by insinuating that China was the real owner of the island.
The White House summoned China's ambassador to protest after China launched missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan. China said it was ending cooperation with the US on a number of issues.
The world is reeling from the coronaviruses epidemic, Russia's war in Ukraine, and food shortages.
Why did she leave? The speaker is an ardent supporter of Taiwan and critic of China. She pointed to a global struggle between autocracy and democracy, a favorite theme of Joe Biden, and told reporters in Taiwan: "We cannot back away from that."
She is expected to lose the speaker's gavel in the November elections. Some of her meetings in Taiwan appeared to be a waste of time.
Thomas Friedman, an author and New York Times columnist, described Pelosi's adventure as "utterly reckless, dangerous and irresponsible" and argued that Taiwan will not be more secure or prosperous because of the visit.
Without the support of European allies in the latter, the US could be plunged into indirect conflicts with a nuclear-armed Russia and a nuclear-armed China.
The US military felt that the trip was not a good idea at the moment because the Chinese president is about to win a third term in office.
In a call last month, the White House said, Biden tried to remind Xi of America's separation of powers, that he could not and would not prevent the speaker and other members of Congress from travelling where they please.
In 1997 when Democrat Bill Clinton was president and Republican Newt Gingrich was speaker, they were close allies from the same political party. The second in line to the presidency flew into the island on a US military aircraft.
The speaker's loudest cheerleaders were rightwing Republicans and China hawks, including Gingrich.
Some people think that a conflict between America and China over Taiwan is inevitable. It could be argued that Biden has supplied some of the kindling, even though Pelosi may have shaved a few years off that forecast.
The president has sown doubts about America's commitment to the "One China" policy under which the US doesn't recognise Taiwan. He said that the US would defend Taiwan. We made a commitment.
The law requires America to give Taiwan the means to defend itself, but it has never promised to intervene in a conflict with China. Taiwan could have declared independence and China could have invaded. Some worry that Biden is replacing the longstanding position of "strategic ambiguity" with "strategic confusion"
There has been a lack of clarity, consistency, a lack of discipline and even a lack of coher.
The Biden administration continues to say that the United States does not support Taiwan independence, but there are other things that the US does. We are going to support a Taiwan that is independent.
Speaker Pelosi going to Taiwan doesn't really cross a red line but I think the Chinese see a slippery slope.
It would have been hard for Pelosi to back down without giving Beijing a propaganda victory.
The senior fellow at the thinktank said he could see the arguments on both sides. This was an ill- timed gesture on her part. Allowing the Chinese to bully her out of the trip would be a terrible sign to the region.
If she hadn't put the issue on the table, that would have been a bigger deal. It would have been a mistake for the president to put a lot of pressure on her not to leave if she had done it. It would have been a mistake and a political mistake.
"Pelosi wanted to convey our commitment and resolve," wrote Larry Diamond in an email. I am respectful of her for that. The trip was a mistake. Beijing increased its military intimidation without doing anything to make Taiwan safer.
Taiwan is in need of more military assistance, especially a large number of small, mobile, survivable and lethal weapons. They need weapons and don't need more visits. They have to do more to prepare for an attack.
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