Will Pelosi and Markey do more to help Taipei than offer moral support?
Sen. Ed Markey and other Democrats visited Taiwan last week, following the wave-making stop by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. If the Americans want to show the trips were more than photo-ops, they’ll return from the Congressional recess with a resolve to do much more to help Taipei and the region resist Chinese hegemony.
Democrats are happy to denounce China from afar for mistreating the Uighurs and the eclipse of Hong Kong’s autonomy. The trips to Taiwan are useful demonstrations of American support. But are the Members willing to spend real political capital at home to support Taiwan and send a message to China in ways that would really matter?
That means agreeing to spend more on U.S. defenses to credibly deter China. The need is urgent, as China invests in naval power and long-range missiles that could neutralize America’s carrier battle groups. Yet the Biden Administration wants to shrink the Navy in the near term when China might see a window of opportunity to invade Taiwan. Democrats who defy China by visiting Taipei have an obligation to help defend the island.
The other priority is re-engaging with the Asia Pacific on trade. The Biden Administration is beginning trade talks with Taiwan at long last, which is welcome. But an obstacle to success is the perception that Democrats in Congress and their labor allies will oppose any deal the Administration strikes with countries in the Pacific region. Mrs. Pelosi has done nothing to disabuse that perception as she refuses to advance new trade promotion authority in Congress.
In May the Biden Administration rolled out its new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) with a dozen other nations. But the framework contains no new market access, and it doesn’t even make a priority of digital trade. The Administration is afraid of opposition from unions and Democrats in Congress.
We’re told Indonesia, India and Vietnam might not cooperate further on IPEF without more market access. Setting the terms of digital trade should be an easy call as it becomes a dominant pillar of economic relations in the coming decades.
Both moves would get China’s attention, since Beijing isn’t part of IPEF. Not long after the U.S. announced plans for IPEF last year, China asked to join the Asia-Pacific successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Donald Trump unwisely abandoned.
Your move, Madam Speaker. Put some military and economic muscle behind your show of moral support.