5 U.S. lawmakers meet with Taiwan president in surprise visit

The United States will do whatever possible to ensure that the rainbow flag of diversity flies over Taiwan.

Very good to see that. Also good to see that both establishment parties are represented. However, there should have been more than just 5.

China needs to stop intimidating Taiwan and other countries that have anything to do with Taiwan. China's heavy handed methods may work within it's borders, but not outside. And Taiwan is definitely outside it's borders.

Zhao Lijian issuing the usual rhetoric.

Good to see Taiwan getting closer to other nations. Since China is not interested in two way relations with Taiwan, it is only fitting that it develop its relationships with the International community. China's loss is Taiwan's gain.

China tries to establish ties by giving preference to Taiwanese businesses to operate in China. This is consistent with with China's strategy in attracting investments from Chinese diaspora. Recently however, they are going after Taiwanese companies on mainland who provide financial support to the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party - Green) and the Taiwan independence movement in Taiwan. And it is only appropriate, from China's perspective, the same way a company advocating California independence would not survive in the U.S. When the pro-China party in Taiwan (Blue) wins an election, cross-straights relations will improve.

were planning to meet with senior leaders including Tsai, said the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy. 

The de facto Taiwanese embassy in Japan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, is in Meguro. I am told they are more blue than green.

I hope Representative Slotkin replied in an equally blunt fashion and told the Chinese Embassy to heed their own oft spouted advice to not interfere in the internal affairs of another country!

The United States will do whatever possible to ensure that the rainbow flag of diversity flies over Taiwan.

I pray that this President keeps his word because Taiwan is shining hope of democracy and freedom and it would be a shame if China annexed that nation and I hope the International community commits to doing whatever they can to make sure the country stays free.

bass4funkToday  08:25 pm JST

The United States will do whatever possible to ensure that the rainbow flag of diversity flies over Taiwan.

I pray that this President keeps his word because Taiwan is shining hope of democracy and freedom and it would be a shame if China annexed that nation

A country can only be annexed if they agree to it. In China's case it would be invading Taiwan.

The mental state the ccp have got themselves into is quite a thing to behold.

Bossy little psychopaths.

China knows if they don’t go to war and just concentrate on trade, they’ll come out on top. The goal is to avoid getting goaded into war and lose what they have achieved.

The US needs China to shoot the first bullet and invade Taiwan, a vibrant democracy, then the sanctions will kick in. Without sanctions there’s no way to contain China.

If Taiwan can’t be the conflict that justifies sanctions, it’ll have to be the genocide and the mass raping and killing of Uighurs in concentration camps. This apparently is not enough though because the western allies continue to trade with China despite the above.

If Hong Kong starts a democracy movement, maybe the oppressed in mainland will join in and topple the CPC but this also has not panned out. There is little news in the west about Hong Kong these days.

We can try and piss China off and invite Taiwan to a conference for democratic nations. Still China doesn’t bite.

Let’s sail through the straights and see if they like that. It’s international waters. China just makes a press statement and goes on selling its medical supplies and equipment to Japan and infrastructure in Africa.

This approach is not working obviously. They’re not willing to fight the US. Without war there’s no way to slow the development of this region. China’s economy is growing about 2-2.5 times the rate of the US.

We can say China is developing nuclear warheads and is a major threat to start a nuclear war. We can say China is collapsing. China is corrupt. We can ban chips being sold to China. These all have its limitations because China won’t bite.

Time is on China’s side. They know war is a lost clause. They’d rather spend the trillion dollars on trade and investments.

Ossanamerika:

A country can only be annexed if they agree to it. In China's case it would be invading Taiwan.

You can't annex something which is a part of yourself. Every other country, including yours, recognizes the One China policy.

quercetum:

I'm afraid when you have the religious war-loving extremist right making up lies with the help of the CIA and NED, and when you have the woke left who believe that every single minority group in the world must be victims, then it's a losing battle, especially when you have the western MSM colluding. When questions are raised by independent western journalists, they are threatened, their questions ignored. I have yet to see real proof of genocide in Xinjiang, just ever-evolving stories from 'victims' who can never get their stories right, who manage to get passports when they're supposedly in detention, or can't make up their minds which father-in-law is missing. That tribunal was a shambles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCtOh_7_tDo

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which party is in control in USA, they want the same thing - hegemony and a monopoly on global power, and they will do anything to stop the competition from any other country, especially an Asian one. Just look at the case of Japan in the 80's. America managed to make them kneel down.

A country can only be annexed if they agree to it. In China's case it would be invading Taiwan.

“Annexation” is the term people use because “invasion” would imply an act of war, which might necessitate a military response. People use “annex” because they might be forced to do something if they called a spade a spade. Russia didn’t annex the Crimea. They invaded Ukraine.

quercetum:

Time is on China’s side. They know war is a lost clause. They’d rather spend the trillion dollars on trade and investments.

Exactly. China is also spending a lot of money to better itself, eg infrastructure, battling poverty, increasing access to education and healthcare for all citizens, regardless of ethnicity. Doesn't this make more sense than spending so much money on military, wars and weapons? Look how difficult it was for the US government to push through that infrastructure bill. Can you imagine - let's spend all our money enriching the weapons industry and let our own people suffer. No affordable heath care, continued poverty and homelessness, failing roads and rail, a space program falling behind.

American politicians trying to assure Americans that the US is number one forever by 'acting tough', while China continues to pull even further ahead of the US both economically and as a world power.

American politicians trying to assure Americans that the US is number one forever by 'acting tough', while China continues to pull even further ahead of the US both economically and as a world power.

For the world and in general, that might be better because if the world needs help ANY form of help whatsoever be that humanitarian or food, technology, entertainment, upholding democracy, freedom, the rights of the individual, upholding and safeguarding international borders, the right to speak out, these are the things that China, Russia or even Iran would never allow, so if you don't have the US, you can say goodbye to all of that. The US isn't perfect, no country is, but at least you don't have to worry about losing your life and dignity.

Time is on China’s side. They know war is a lost clause. They’d rather spend the trillion dollars on trade and investments.

Why then are they increasing their military budget year on year more than any other nation in the world? Why build the worlds largest navy? Why spend so much on weapons if trade is the winning move?

Because China wants to dominate militarily and through trade to ensure total compliance to its will from the rest of the world. A desire that is designed to fail. Time is on the worlds side as China continues to alienate nations around the globe. More regional countries are working together to contain Chinese military expansion. Many nations are diversifying suppliers of goods and working to secure supply lines and not rely on any one nation.

China has been the worlds factory for a few decades and that is slowly coming to a stop as others look away from China.

Time is not on China's side. It will only get weaker as it loses trade volume to trading partners. It will not be shut out but it will be weakened.

Interesting that four of the five members of Congress on the trip were Democrats. Only one Republican mustered the gumption to make the trip, and make the statement.

Why then are they increasing their military budget year on year more than any other nation in the world? Why build the worlds largest navy? Why spend so much on weapons if trade is the winning move?

To answer your question, it is to protect trade. The South China Seas is the most important trade route for trade. China learns lessons from Japan and learned what forced Japan to attack Pearl Harbor (embargo). China doesn’t want its tankers pirated and lose millions of barrels of oil that the US just takes and then sells. The choke hold for China’s economy is the SCS, hence the largest navy in the world, and the Belt Road Initiative, hence Xinjiang. Obama sent an air carrier through the SCS. The Chinese response probably was not anticipated by the administration and the Chinese concern for security is interpreted as ambition for world hegemony.

I should include in the previous post: let’s tell the world China is trying to dominate the world and is expanding its territories. Better get your nuclear sub orders in now.

China wants scientists and bankers. China is less interested in soldiers than in scientists or bankers. If you are a young scientist, the Chinese government will pay you $$$$$ to relocate, but that means dealing with the local bureaucracy.

Also, you probably will have more luck being a VC or investment banker. One thing that I like about the culture of Wall Street is that people have no loyalty to any nation or ideology, just money. So if you get into military/defense/politics, people will always wonder about what side you are on.

If you work in finance and to some extent tech, no one gives a damn about national loyalty. Your boss looks at you, figures out how much money you make for the company and how much you’re worth to the company.

If you work for the Bank of China and Goldman-Sachs offers you more cash to work for them, then people will think you are crazy not to take the offer. Loyalty to money.

The interest is much higher in bankers and scientists. Less in the military.

There were two reasons for the US to get out of Afghanistan ASAP. One, it wasn't working. The only thing keeping the country from being overrun by the Taliban was a huge influx of allied troops and money. The Afghans were not willing to defend themselves at a level that could compete with the Taliban. Secondly, Biden listened to his military advisors, who told him that China's rapidly rising militarism in East Asia absolutely needed a shift in American attention. Rather than use up troops and trillions of dollars in a war that could never be won, pivot to an area that actually wants our support.

@1glenn, Mr.Biden knew the urgency to arm up against a rapidly modernizing PLA/PLAAF/PLAN when he was Mr.Obama's VP. That pivot to the Pacific began under his administration. Much of the new hardware coming on line today aimed at improving US capabilities against Chinese forces began their development ten years ago or more. Commercial considerations at the time prevented us from calling the Chinese an "enemy". Various big business groups and chambers of commerce would have shouted us down for saying the E wordin public, but we all knew that was where things were going. That urgency has been there since 2010. I wont say I've had a front row seat but I have been in the theater.