Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation in Taiwan, a visit that comes amid soaring tensions between the US and China.
Khanna and Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), and Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. According to The Associated Press, the lawmakers will be in Taiwan for five days, longer than most congressional visits to the island.
China views US government officials visiting Taiwan as an affront to the one-China policy and often reacts to such trips with military drills around the island. After former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) traveled to Taiwan last August, China launched its largest-ever military drills around the island and has kept up the military pressure since.
On Friday, media reports said the Pentagon’s top China official arrived in Taiwan, although the US government didn’t officially acknowledge the trip. Around the same time, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported an uptick in Chinese military flights in the region, including 15 planes that crossed the median line, an unofficial barrier that separates the Taiwan Strait.
Before Pelosi visited Taiwan, China rarely crossed the median line, but now it’s a common occurrence. Khanna supported Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, saying at the time that “we’re not going to let the Chinese Communist Party dictate where the Speaker of the House should go.”
Khanna is insisting his visit to Taiwan is focused on the semiconductor industry and is not a provocation. He said in a statement that he would affirm the one-China policy. But Khanna is a member of a new China panel in the House that was formed after Republicans took the majority, and other members recognize that congressional delegations to Taiwan will anger Beijing.
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), another member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, told Nikkei Asia last week that the panel’s members plan to visit Taiwan knowing that it will “infuriate” China.
“We know that will infuriate the Chinese,” Wittman said. “But I think it’s incredibly important for us to do that, because you have to send the signal that we’re strongly on the side of Taiwan.” Republican leadership is expected to also eventually visit Taiwan, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
On Monday, Khanna’s delegation held talks with the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The delegation is expected to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other business people on the island.
China needs to enforce a policy of no US political hacks to Taiwan, and adhere to the One-China policy. If the US refuses let them burn as they did when getting booted from Afghanistan. China has the cards..not Uncle Sam.
Obviously being an idiot is no hindrance when it comes to serving in Congress (25 and a US citizen residing in a state will suffice, I believe). In addition, being a useful idiot is a great big plus in Washington DC.
Hey, Ro, did you ever think of holding a semiconductor conference via Zoom?
Please correct me if my understanding is wrong;
Ro Khanna profits from the arms dealing business.
I suppose he may have a portfolio with arms stocks in it, but that’s not obvious from his background, and if so he has a tendency to work against his portfolio’s interested in Congress, at least overtly.
How can a person stoking an arms race in Asia be working against his profits from weapon stocks?
I don’t know Ro’s portfolio. But according to OpenSecrets.org in the 2021-2022 election cycle he raised over $1.1 million from employees and affiliates of the securities industy and his top five donors are employees of Alphabet (Google) ($125K); J Street (Liberal Zionists)($46K) and Wilson Sonsini et al (Silicon Valley law firm) ($43K).
He raised over $5 million total in the cycle and his district encompasses Silicon Valley. So he is part of the best Congress money can buy.
CA 17th District is Silicon Valley and TSM is the jewel of the semiconductor industry. So he’s doubtless going for business reasons, and making the obligatory bellicose noises for parliamentary reasons.
China will give the yanks enough rope to hang themselves , when push come to shove China will storm into Taiwan and it will be game over , the yanks think if they can get enough weapons into Taiwan the Chinese will back off , news flash China won`t back down .
How many of these bipartisan delegations of morons have visited East Palestine, or even their own districts lately? Nah, it is way more important for them to go poke the China bear for political points at taxpayer expense. These provocations literally accomplish absolutely nothing, is against public opinion in Taiwan (the pro China parties just won the latest election by double digit margins over the pro independence parties), and bring us ever closer to another disastrous war.
Most members of Congress spend several days a month in their districts even when Congress is in session, because they’re always running for re-election. That’s why they get antsy when there are hold-ups that prevent adjournment early on Fridays — they have events set up to gladhand and raise money in their districts on the weekends.
Thomas, sorry about that comment I made regarding Kamala Harris that you had removed. I’ll be more careful from now on.
Another one bites the dust. I guess I was wrong about Khanna.
“We know that will infuriate the Chinese,” Whitman said. “But I think it’s incredibly important for us to do that, because you have to send the signal that we’re strongly on the side of Taiwan.”
Which is a big fat lie. They want to use Taiwan as a battering ram against China, and are perfectly willing to destroy Taiwan to accomplish their objectives. Just like with Ukraine. The president of Taiwan is in the pocket of Washington, serving the interests of the so called 1%. Brian Berletic at The New Atlas did a really great podcast about this recently.