Preston Xanthopoulos: For the 1st time — probably the last — I agree with Nancy Pelosi

Under threats of retaliatory military action from China, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress visited Taiwan this week. Good.

Taiwan is the eighth-largest Asian economy; it is our ninth-largest trading partner — we’re talking $80 billion in mutual trade per year; it says it is a sovereign nation; and as Pelosi said after her touchdown in the Indo-Pacific nation, “Our congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy."

China doesn’t like this. Who cares? Yes, I understand there are some high-level diplomatic issues at stake here. I still don’t care. Since when does the United States of America let China tell us what we can and cannot do? Russia tried that with threats over our support of Ukraine. I don’t care about Russian dictates to us any more than Chinese orders. China is not going to start World War III over this trip. They’re bad guys, they’re not stupid guys. Putin? That’s another story. He’s so crazy, it may make him stupid. I still don’t expect America to determine our foreign affairs based on his edicts.

America has this weird relationship with Taiwan. We don’t have “official” diplomatic relations, such as an embassy in Taiwan. Although we do both have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and a de facto embassy there. It’s just called “The American Institute in Taiwan” because then it's “unofficial."

China is in a tizzy because they say they own Taiwan. Other countries have done that before. The history of Taiwan is ancient and confusing, but for many years Japan said they owned Taiwan. But, all this time Taiwan, under various names, has viewed itself as a sovereign nation. So, while we can do hoop-jumping and the dance of calling an embassy an institute and the sort to keep everyone happy, if they say they’re an independent nation, who am I to disagree? Who is America? Particularly when we are disagreeing because China tells us to.

Let’s not forget, China is not run by good people. While the Constitution claims religious freedom, that has deteriorated rapidly in the past several decades. The government uses high-tech surveillance like facial recognition to find and punish people across all religions from Christian, to Buddhists and of course, Muslims. Uighur Muslims, if caught, are subjected to torture, imprisonment in labor camps and worse. China uses abuse as a population control method, and subjects its own people to sexual abuse, torture, family separation, mass surveillance and cultural repression to control them. Since President Xi Jinping took over about a decade ago, there are also widespread reports on the erosion of gay rights.

China is in no position to tell America what we can and cannot do, unless it’s whether we can come to China. They can tell us we can’t do that if they so choose.

Xi, during a long call with President Joe Biden last week, said regarding any support we show for Taiwan, he would “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that “whoever plays with fire will get burned.” What are you going to do China? We’re your largest trading partner in the world. Are you going to stop selling us toilet paper and plastic? We’re supposed to be getting off the plastic kick for the sake of the planet anyway, and besides, I think as unrealistic as it is for most people to be able to afford domestic-only products, it’s not a terrible idea to start diversifying our trade partners away from China. We’re supporting the bad guys.

I might be waving the flag and pounding my American chest here a bit in my “America doesn’t do what China tells us to” mantra, and I’m totally OK with that. We could use some more American pride and chest thumping flowing around the globe right now.

I don’t care who is visiting Taiwan in defiance of China — a Democrat, a Republican or a member of the new bipartisan Forward party founded by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (trite name for a new party, guys) — if you are an American in a diplomatic role, you are one of us and I will support you. Even, someone I’ve spent a lot of time criticizing over the years.

In Pelosi’s statement she noted, “Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.” Those are some pretty significant words in the face of Chinese aggression.

So, for the first and probably last time ever, let me agree with the words of Nancy Pelosi, “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.” #TaiwanIsACountry #FreeTaiwan

Alicia Preston Xanthopoulos is a former political consultant and member of the media. She’s a native of Hampton Beach where she lives with her family and three poodles. Write to her at PrestonPerspective@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Nancy Pelosi has every right to visit Taiwan: Opinion