The 'cynical reason' that Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan: China expert

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Why Pelosi visited Taiwan

Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Pillsbury reveals why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and what Congress is focused on on 'Life, Liberty & Levin.'

Hudson Institute director for Chinese strategy Michael Pillsbury revealed the "cynical reason" that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on "Life, Liberty & Levin."

"Republicans had been capturing the national sentiment on China as a threat," he told host Mark Levin. "You get polls coming back — 70%, 80% of the public thinks that. And Democrats were positioned poorly. They seemed to be helping China, apologizing for China. Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump — these were champions [who] do something about China. I think Nancy Pelosi and her team recognize this."

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Pelosi's trip to Taiwan says, "We Democrats are tough on China, too," he added.

Her trip will be "hypocritical" and will not have halted China's "100-year marathon" if she rejects all Republican strategies on the country, Pillsbury noted.

To her credit, Pelosi was a human rights activist against China beginning in the 1990s, having almost been arrested in 1991 in Tiananmen Square, he said, adding that the speaker is a "good friend" of the Dalai Lama and assisted him in receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.

Potentially like Pelosi, Congress does not seem focused on China either, Levin said. Pillsbury agreed.

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"China seems to be something that's rhetorically possible to deal with by condemning China, but actual cutting off of foreign direct American investment in China — that's a big one," Pillsbury said. "Actually arresting people who engage in economic espionage. Not just having cases the [FBI] Director Wray says he has thousands of, but actual arrests and prosecution."

The Hudson Institute senior fellow also proposed having universities stop fulfilling research contracts on advanced technology on China's behalf. 

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The United States is not taking these actions against the Chinese, who must be held accountable, he said.