Her Excellency Madam Pelosi

"There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response. Now, they've taken dangerous acts to a new level." 

"We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

"I heard that U.S. Secretary of State Blinken held his news conference and spread some misinformation and was not speaking truthfully."

"We wish to issue a warning to the United States: do not act rashly, do not create a greater crisis."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

 

"Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Pacific — including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan — focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with our Taiwanese partners will focus on reaffirming our support for the island and promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America’s solidarity with Taiwan is more important today than ever — not only to the 23 million people of the island but also to millions of others oppressed and menaced by the PRC." 

"[The world is facing] a choice between democracy and autocracy."

"America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad."

U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi

"The only way out of this crisis is that the U.S. side must take measures immediately to rectify its mistakes and eliminate the grave impact of Pelosi's visit."

"[Washington should] avoid pushing China-U.S. relations down the dangerous track of conflict and confrontation."

Jing Quan, senior Chinese Embassy official, Washington

"Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down."

We will firmly uphold our nation's sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defence for democracy."

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen

Arguments began when President Joe Biden cast public doubt on the wisdom of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan by suggesting that the Pentagon saw it as too risky. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

They both represent the same Democratic Party, the president of the United States, and the Speaker of the House. Yet somehow there appears not to have been a discussion by the two executive branches of government about Speaker Nancy Pelosi's intended trip to Taiwan. And in her statements while in Taipei, reassuring the Taiwanese that nothing has changed, America has its back, she spoke with the royal 'we' as though she and her word are imperial law.

How is it possible that when Joe Biden was asked by reporters whether Nancy Pelosi really would be visiting Taiwan as part of her trip to Eastern allies? A controversial trip certain to raise Beijing's hackles at the prospect of a high-level U.S. legislator, sufficiently elite in her position to be considered second in line to the presidency should an emergency arise, and about as diplomatically awkward given current stresses and strains between Washington and Beijing as conceivably provoking. His response was rather odd; admitting he really didn't know.

The trip, it appears, was all about Nancy Pelosi. Smiling for the cameras, being applauded for her courage in inviting an outraged response from Beijing who, after all, promised there would be one -- and there was. Ingratiating herself personally with the political leaders of of America's Asian allies; Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, feted everywhere. South Korea's president a bit more cautious; too busy holidaying to meet with her.

And what did she accomplish, glad-handing her Asian counterparts, smiling broadly, promising the largess of American patronage and protection to China's near-abroad neighbours, nervous about Beijing's strident assertiveness in its territorial ambitions and power plays? Her visit, despite words of gratitude from Taipei, placed the country in more imminent peril from a furiously-snubbed Beijing. Of a visit guaranteed to be the ultimate in provocation and changing nothing between the U.S. and Taiwan.

Leading China to launch a series of military operations including live fire within Taiwan's territorial airspace. It will take some time before tensions between the two world's largest trading partners and competitors for the title of dominating world power to relax to a returned working level. The People's Liberation Army Air Force flew a contingent of 21 warplanes close to Taiwan, causing a responding scramble from the Taiwanese air force.

China's Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army revealed its military conducted air and sea drills to the north, southwest and east of Taiwan "to test the troops' joint combat capabilities".  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Beijing that Washington does not seek a crisis over the unfortunate trip to Taiwan by Ms. Pelosi. Which failed to stop four missiles fired by China over Taipei and others landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

If Speaker Pelosi's grand plan was to foment further turmoil for America's allies in the East, her smiling presence certainly did that, and more. "We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region", she said reassuringly, after having done her level best to do all that, and more, roiling the region regally.

The Columnist