Dear Nancy,
In 1991, you were a member of the congressional party invited to Beijing as guests of the Chinese government. There you held a well-planned “impromptu” press conference in Tiananmen Square, where you unfurled a banner proclaiming “Human Rights in China.”
A group of Western journalists patiently waited for you to break off from your official host and show up.
That was just simply brilliant. The show-and-tell established your credentials as a human-rights advocate.
As a newly elected member of the US House of Representatives, the publicity certainly didn’t hurt your chances of getting re-elected.
Of course, the Chinese government probably regarded your breach of protocol as rude and uncouth, but hey, that was their problem.
Now rumors have it that you are planning to visit Taiwan in August. A lot has changed since your trip to China more than 30 years ago.
The Taiwanese media are all in a tizzy, asking each other, “Who invited Nancy Pelosi? After all, Taiwan isn’t some American offshore possession that Nancy can come and go as she pleases.”
To paraphrase one of the commentators, “Doesn’t she understand that we can’t stand the excitement and tension of her visit?”
Also read: How a Pelosi Taiwan visit could play out in region
He added, “Most people of Taiwan like the relations with mainland China just the way they are. Peaceful, stable, quiet, and we sell a lot of our stuff across the Taiwan Strait, to the tune of more than US$100 billion in surplus every year.”
Some say that you are planning to visit Taiwan to encourage the Taipei government to start a fight with the mainland.
The people of Taiwan have seen how the US has been helping Ukraine in its fight with Russia, and they don’t want any part of that setup.
Before the Ukraine war, around 60% of the people in Taiwan were sure that American troops would join a fight in their defense. Now that number has fallen to around 30%.
Maybe the publicity of a visit by you to Taiwan, daring the People’s Republic of China to respond, will help your Democratic party in the midterm election this November.
However, you are now the Speaker of the House, and two steps away from the presidency. Like it or not, your actions represent the official position of our country.
If you step over the red line China has laid down, it can’t back down and not react. We don’t know what its response would be, but it would be dangerous – potentially explosive, in fact.
As a loyal American, I humbly ask for your careful consideration for the sake of world peace and your personal safety.
Best personal regards,
George Koo
The writer of this letter is a retired business consultant who resides in California and is deeply worried about the future of America.