My Take | Why Pompeo’s Taiwan visit was so controversial
- It wasn’t just that the former US secretary of state’s tweet called on Washington to recognise the island’s independence, but Taiwan paid a hefty sum for his trip
I was wrong, again. Last week, I attributed grand geopolitics to former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s visit to Taiwan during which he called on the United States to recognise the island as an independent and sovereign country. Now, it seems cold hard cash might have been the greater motive.
The leaked contract stipulated for Pompeo an honorarium of US$150,000, one round-trip first-class air ticket and a stay at the Grand Hyatt Taipei or its equivalent – along with three business-class tickets. There was nothing wrong with all that. Out of government, influential Western politicians can command top dollar for giving speeches and advice around the world.
What was problematic, though, was that the government of President Tsai Ing-wen failed to disclose Pompeo’s was a paid visit; instead, it was advertised as America’s show of support at a time of rising political tensions with the war in Ukraine and with mainland China. Given Pompeo’s tweet, which made global headlines by calling for US recognition of Taiwan’s independence, the full nature of the financial arrangement for the visit was clearly a matter of public, if not global interest.
United Daily News further claimed Pompeo was working for Anarock Global Partners, a New York-headquartered investment fund, which has been lobbying for business with Taiwan’s labour and pension funds as well as its National Development Fund (NDF).