What Pelosi Instinctively Gets Right About Taiwan

In early 1979 following President Jimmy Carter's official recognition of the People's Republic of China, the mainland's Communist rulers opened their embassy in Washington. Jim Lilley, my good friend and fellow critic of Beijing, and I attended its official opening in the old Windsor Park Hotel. Lilley had been born in China, spoke fluent Mandarin, and had spent the bulk of his career at the CIA where he had on at least two occasions managed to delay Carter's desire to recognize the Beijing regime. He would go on to serve as our nation's representative in Taiwan, ambassador to Korea and, finally, ambassador to China itself.

We found ourselves just ahead of Carter's Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Richard Holbrooke in the receiving line. Holbrook was the Carter administration's chief advocate of the new policy and would continue to argue for closer ties to Beijing and cutting back on the U.S. commitment to stand by Taiwan. As the line moved forward, Holbrooke grew angry that Lilley and I were even there.

As we moved up to shake the hand of the Communist Chinese ambassador, Holbrooke could no longer contain himself. He looked at us and said to the ambassador, “I don't know why people like this are even invited here this evening. If it was up to Lilley, you wouldn't have an embassy and wouldn't even be here.” The ambassador looked at Holbrooke coldly, pumped Lilley's hand and said with some respect, “you can be sure that we understand Mr. Lilley and he understands us.” Holbrooke was taken aback by the ambassador's tone and response, but it was clear that he had more respect for Lilley's intelligence and courage than he did for Holbrooke's anxious desire to be recognized as China's friend.

I don't agree with most of what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does, but I thought of this exchange during the rhetorical firestorm ignited by her determination to be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taipei in a quarter century. Our adversaries in Beijing may well have more respect for her than for the boys and girls at the Pentagon and White House who were so anxious to cave in to threats and bluster. Beijing will gladly exploit the weaknesses of those so obsequiously anxious to befriend them for money and favors. In short, the communists welcome and take advantage of weakness, but respect strength.

To give Pelosi her due, she has been a staunch defender of Taiwan at least since visiting Beijing shortly after the government sent tanks into Tiananmen Square to quash citizens demonstrating for greater freedom. The regime prohibits discussion of the incident today, so many younger Chinese do not fully appreciate or even know much about the horror of June 4, 1989, when the tanks rolled. Nancy Pelosi does and so does the world.

Jim Lilley was our ambassador to Beijing by then. Several members of Congress had the courage to travel to China, stand in Tiananmen Square, and honor those who weren't intimidated by the regime's threats or even the tanks sent to quash their demonstration. Nancy Pelosi was one of them. When she and her colleagues arrived back then, they were threatened and pushed around by Communist police and soldiers but stood firm.

It must have seemed like old times as Pelosi prepared for this trip. Beijing's bullies once again blustered and even threatened to shoot down her plane if she dared set foot on the island they have coveted for so long. Leaders of her own party urged her to cancel the trip. She knew that to do so would be to publicly cave in to and encourage China's bullying.  

She didn't cave, and the people of Taiwan showed their appreciation. That appreciation was earned and deserved. Speaker Pelosi showed far more courage than those in her party who stood shaking in the face of Beijing's bluster. The Chinese leadership was not pleased but had to see her visit as evidence that the bipartisan U.S. support Taiwan has enjoyed for so long remains strong. That was an important message and one worth sending.

Jim Lilley would be proud of her.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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