Experience shows that Democrats enjoy the rare ability to shoot themselves in the foot when in office.
It is not that things are going smoothly for President Joe Biden so that, in addition, his close associates create discord within his ranks, and with the Pentagon, at the cost of provoking China with a summer visit to Taiwan, which is like climbing the Dragon Khan without protection and suffering from acute vertigo.
Biden's popularity has fallen about 30 points and some polls even place him below Donald Trump's in his day, and that is saying a lot.
Concerns are piling up in the oval office: health doubts due to Biden's age, rampant inflation, the hint of a recession, a pandemic that does not stop, supply problems, shootings, the Supreme Court's confrontation by almost banning abortion and the threat to same-sex marriages, the wear and tear of the war in Ukraine (with the rise in energy prices) or the legislative jam, by a single vote, that of Senator friend Joe Manchin, to invest in large infrastructures, especially those aimed at combating climate change.
As if this were not enough, Nancy Pelosi, president of the Lower House of Congress, third in line for power in the United States and Biden's main ally, has decided to announce that she plans to visit Taiwan this August, during the legislative recess .
Analysts maintain that there was no worse time to undertake this route, which has only exacerbated Beijing's grievances and threats of invasion of the island.
Pelosi, who on Wednesday stressed her willingness to continue with her plans, would fly with her companions in an army aircraft as usual. To this, China could send "escort" planes that would prevent his landing.
While US sources believe there is very little fear of Beijing attacking a plane carrying such a high-ranking official, they are aware that any misunderstanding or mistake would jeopardize its security. So the Pentagon prepares a contingency plan for what may happen.
Pelosi's journey would be that of the first speaker of the House of Representatives to go to Taiwan since 1997. Then it was Newt Gingrich, a hawk (today the greatest supporter of Trumpism) who loved to challenge his enemy, President Bill Clinton.
During the Trump administration, a member of his cabinet and head of the State Department was in Taiwan, the first senior official to do something of this magnitude since 1979.
Washington has no official diplomatic ties with Taipei and has accepted the "one China" policy under Beijing's control. Although it sells weapons to Taiwan to strengthen its defense and nurtures a strong business relationship. And Biden repeated several times in August 2021, without ambiguity, that the US would come to the island's rescue if China launched its military occupation.
But Pelosi's challenge would be another sign of high-level US support for Taiwan, so unspecified. China warns of revenge.
“The military thinks that this is not a good idea at this time,” Biden replied, learning of the intentions of the legislator whom conservative rivals call “dictator”, but who now support his trip.
The president plans to hold a telephone conversation with his counterpart Xi Jinping, possibly this Thursday. According to the White House, it would be a "routine" call in continuation of other communications between the two leaders. However, Biden's main objective is to reduce the eruption of Chinese anger over Pelosi's trip and that this does not derail the face-to-face meeting scheduled for next November.
The Biden Administration is working discreetly to try to persuade the president of the inappropriateness of her trip. The national security team wants to convince her of the potential risk of her project because it is a very sensitive moment. The CIA has reports indicating that Beijing has drawn up an invasion plan, which it is keeping on hold because of the war unleashed in Ukraine by Russia. But any situation that they considered an aggression could be the fuse of that advance.
Despite the questions, Pelosi reiterated that she does not want to enter into public discussions about her plans, although she stressed that "it is important for us to show support for Taiwan." The persuasive efforts of Biden and his team seem to be falling on deaf ears. This Wednesday it was revealed that Pelosi has invited members of Congress, among these Republicans, to join him on his trip.
Meanwhile, General Mark Milley, the uniformed chief of the armed forces, warned that China's behavior in the Asia-Pacific area “is becoming more aggressive. The US accused Beijing on Tuesday of “provocations” in the South China Sea. They pointed out that "her behavior is irresponsible."
