As a supporter of Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, I oppose any high level meetings between the U.S. government and Taiwan’s President, moreover as a U.S. citizen I particularly oppose U.S. officials meeting with any Taiwan officials that are advocating for or flirting with the idea of Taiwan independence. Meetings like these, e.g. Pelosi and Tsai in Taiwan and McCarthy and Tsai in California, only serve to provoke China and threaten peace and stability in Taiwan, the region, and the world.

The best option for Taiwan is to maintain the status quo while the mainland catches up in terms of social, political, and economic development and until there are suitable conditions for a peaceful reunification. The mainland, regardless of how militarily powerful it gets, should also seek suitable conditions before attempting to reunify because trying to govern Taiwan while taking freedom and democracy away from people who have grown up with it may turn out to be as difficult as any military invasion.

In the meantime the U.S. needs to start speaking out as strongly against moves towards Taiwan independence as it does against reunification by force and make it clear that if the residents of Taiwan do decide they want to move towards independence and elect pro-independence parties and politicians then that is a fight they will fight on their own without any kind of economic, political, or military assistance from the U.S.. The U.S. needs to make it crystal clear that if Taiwan starts moving in that direction it will cease all arms sales to the island because those arms are meant for defense against an unprovoked invasion and should not be used as protection to test the patience of the mainland.