On Thursday night, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took to Twitter with a warning for the world: “The U.S. should immediately do the right and obvious thing and recognize Taiwan as a free and sovereign country.” Pompeo visited Taiwan this week, meeting with its President Tsai Ing-wen.
For months, China has signaled that its leaders may follow the example Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is displaying in failing to recognize a neighboring country as independent. China has increased its military presence near Taiwan, and, after Russia invaded Ukraine late last week, Chinese warplanes flew over Taiwan in yet another show of aggression.
Pompeo, like many other foreign affairs experts, warns that China would like to take power over Taiwan. Like Putin with Ukraine, China’s leaders have said that Taiwan is a part of their republic. Pompeo warns it is only a matter of time before the Chinese attempt to take Taiwan back as a Chinese territory.
These same foreign affairs experts say that our adversaries may be more apt to test United States’ resolve since Russian President Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine. They argue that the United States is showing weakness in its response to the Russian invasion, sending help only after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeatedly asked for such. Furthermore, they argue that the sanctions placed on Russia in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion do little to deter Putin.
Pompeo warned that Western allies must not allow a Taiwan invasion or attack, and steps must be taken to prevent Chinese leadership from further considering such actions.
Pompeo was quoted in the Taipei Times, “If any of us were mistaken or complacent about the risk to that freedom, I think we need only watch what’s taking place in Europe to see that this continues to demand deep, concerted, focused leadership from those of us who cherish freedom.”
The war in Ukraine is now at day nine, and the eyes of the world anxiously watch for punitive measures taken by the Biden Administration and Western allies in an effort to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict.
The Biden Administration has already put two rounds of economic sanctions in place since Monday after the conflict in Ukraine began. Russia has been removed from most of the world’s international banking system, and they were removed from most SWIFT transactions. However, Russia may utilize SWIFT and other economic methods when it comes to the sale of Russian oil, which many Americans believe enables Putin to carry on with the conflict.
Today, lawmakers are expected to introduce bipartisan support for a ban on Russian oil in America, which, according to the Biden Administration, only accounts for about ten percent of imported oil to the United States. The White House warns that such a measure would actually increase gas prices for Americans. However, after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that she supports a ban, most Americans expect a ban to be approved, at least at the Congressional level.
Americans are asking the Biden Administration to open up American oil resources, such as the Keystone Pipeline. Some Democrats say that this won’t really offset imported oil, and, it will be years before there is an effect felt that lowers the price of fuel. However, Steve Moore, President Donald Trump’s choice for the Federal Reserve head, says that a moratorium on leases as well as a relaxation of current regulations that are cost prohibitive to American oil companies would have a much more immediate effect on the price of fuel.
In the meantime, Pompeo warns America not to turn its back on Taiwan. He recommends swift and decisive deterrents on Russia so that China will understand that the United States can and will back its Western allies across the world. One way to do this is to recognize Taiwan as a “free and sovereign country.”
Mike Pompeo has served in multiple facets of government. He is a former Congressman representing Kansas, and he was also former director of the CIA. Pompeo’s foreign diplomacy and policy experience is highly touted on both sides of the political aisle. Some pundits are also whispering rumors of a Pompeo 2024 Presidential campaign.
Pompeo had tweeted previously: “It is not provocative to demand freedom.” This tweet accompanied a photo of Pompeo and his wife with a Taiwanese official. Pompeo posted this photo during the same week a U.S. Navy destroyer passed through the Taiwan Strait.