As this commentary was being written, the plane of Nancy Pelosi, the U.S. Speaker of the House, was landing in Taiwan.

The question is – and a lot may depend on the answer, even World War III – should she have gone or not? Is it a good idea or is it causing a crisis from which nothing good will come for the United States and the world?

Her visit, in my opinion, is an irresponsible, dangerous action, with no possible tangible positive outcome for Taiwan and the United States.

Taiwan is a small island – compared with the enormous size of China – and is located about 100 miles from mainland China, with a population of 23 million.
China has repeatedly trumpeted that it is determined to integrate Taiwan into its core, even if it has to do so by force of arms.

Anyway, the question is, will Pelosi’s visit help Taiwan – and how?

My opinion is it will not help. On the contrary, it risks plunging Taiwan and the United States into a war – the latter on two fronts with two nuclear powers, Russia and China.

Shouldn’t this be avoided at all costs? Isn’t it a basic geopolitical rule that you don’t open two fronts at the same time? That you first close one and then – if necessary – open the other?

Apparently for this reason – as Tom Friedman said in a revealing column in the New York Times – neither the White House, nor the Armed Forces, nor the CIA are in favor of the visit.

But despite Xi Jinping, China’s president, warning Joe Biden in their lengthy online chat yesterday that “those who play with fire will eventually get burned,” the U.S. president did not pick up the phone to ask Pelosi to cancel her visit.

And all this while the war in Ukraine, as we know, is raging.

And, in fact, “privately” – according to Friedman – “U.S. officials are a lot more concerned about Ukraine’s leadership than they are letting on. There is deep mistrust between the White House and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine — considerably more than has been reported,” he reveals.

Meanwhile, Biden warned Xi that if China sides with Russia, then China risks losing its two main markets, the United States and the EU.

Also, the United States knows that China has so far not provided military assistance to Russia, which makes Putin’s maneuvers difficult.

And, moreover, the Americans believe that Putin is determined “to consider using a small nuclear weapon against Ukraine if he sees his army facing certain defeat.”

Incredible stuff!

America may have to ‘protect’ Taiwan. Stop China at this point. (By the way, I wonder why the United States does not defend with the same vigor the independence and sovereignty of Cyprus.)

But this should be done at the right time that America chooses.

Unless China forces it by its actions.

But now is not the right time. You never open two fronts – certainly not without a good reason.