Commentary: Will Kevin McCarthy’s meeting with Taiwan’s president provoke more conflict with China?

The last time a U.S. speaker of the house met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the visit prompted extensive blowback in China. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as China’s military is formally called, responded briskly, conducting days of military exercises around the self-governed island. These were no normal military exercises either. PLA ships and aircraft surrounded Taiwan at six separate points in what could only be described as a dress rehearsal for a hypothetical blockade. Missiles were launched over the island, with some of them landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Tsai’s expected meeting with House Speaker Kevin