What China has done well, we should study, recognize, and replicate. Their Belt and Road initiative is smart, not sinister. Their long-term planning is admirable, not evil. Their preference for economic influence over military conquest is, frankly, something we used to believe in too.
And Taiwan? The red line is real. Ask around in DC and you’ll hear it in whispers: some apparently can’t wait for a war over that island. But let’s be honest. If Washington encourages Taipei to poke the bear, it will not be the Taiwanese people who suffer alone. Global markets will crash, trade routes will cease, and millions will die.
Finish in Substack.