According to Beijing authorities (and some Taipei opposition figures), the potential election of current Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te as president in January could spark the biggest crisis yet in cross-strait relations — and potentially lead to war. But Lai’s recent visit to the United States showed that these warnings are overblown. China is attacking Lai because he is reasonable, not because he’s a hothead. That makes him much harder for Beijing to undermine.

China’s foreign ministry complained loudly before Lai, who is also referred to as William Lai, visited New York City and San Francisco this month — visits referred to by the Americans and the Taiwanese as “transit” stops on his way to and from Peru. This diplomatic terminology is used because Washington and Taipei do not have formal diplomatic relations. But that didn’t stop Beijing from calling Lai an “independence separatist” and a “troublemaker” and threatening “forceful measures” in response. Chinese officials even told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Lai’s ascendance could harm U.S.-China relations.

Lai dispelled that notion at a luncheon with members of the Taiwanese-American community in New York that I attended last weekend. Outside the hotel, pro-Beijing protesters shouted insults about Lai’s Democratic People’s Party (DPP), similar to what happened in March when President Tsai Ing-wen was visiting. But inside the room, Lai’s speech was carefully crafted to send a firm but conventional message.

“The acts of support from across the world indicate that Taiwan is now a pivotal member of the international community; peace in the Taiwan Strait is a matter of global security,” he said. “When Taiwan is safe, the world is safe; when there is peace in the Taiwan Strait, there is peace in the world.”

[Hope this isn’t paywalled – wasn’t when I went through from Twitter. ~ Beege]