Walter Lohman
Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC, United States
Contact Walter
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Walter:
Congress Prepares To Step Up on Taiwan Policy
In recent decades, observers of American foreign policy have come to see it as a thoroughly executive branch responsibility. Understandably so. Congress has long demonstrated only episodic interest in foreign affairs, and not always in the most constructive ways. Fortunately, this looks to be changing. Recent case-in-point, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Yes, it was mostly symbolic. I… → Read More
Why Speaker Pelosi Must Go to Taiwan
Beijing is warning of “serious consequences” and “firm and resolute measures” should House Speaker Nancy Pelosi follow through with her plans to visit Taiwan. → Read More
Grace in the Cause of Victory
My colleague at The Heritage Foundation, historian and co-founder of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Lee Edwards, remarked in a column last year that in the United States, opposition to Confucius Institutes has managed to unite left and right. That is no small feat. It is a spirt of grace Americans must nurture, not just as it applies to fighting Chinese influence on American… → Read More
Foreign Policy: Strategy for a Post-Biden Era
The war in Ukraine and other recent events have shown us the true colors of China, Iran, and Russia. These are dangerous regimes that want a world without America. There are other challenges in the world, such as the nuclear-armed regime in North Korea and transnational terrorism, but China, Iran, and Russia are of particular concern because they are revisionist powers with the capability and… → Read More
Biden’s Explicit Promise To Defend Taiwan Is Bad Policy
During his visit to Japan, when asked whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan militarily, President Joe Biden responded, “Yes, that’s the commitment we made.” He said a very similar thing involving this “commitment” during a CNN town hall last October. The president is mistaken in two ways. One, the U.S. has no such “commitment.” And two, making such a promise is unnecessary and unwise. → Read More
Give Taiwan What It Thinks It Needs—Just in Case
Will the U.S. come to the defense of Taiwan if and when China makes its move? Like most friends of Taiwan, I’ve been saying “yes” for a couple decades. But the truth is that none of us, in or out of government, really know. This is precisely why we all need to show humility in our advice on how Taiwan should prepare itself for such an eventuality. After all, it’s their country, and they have no… → Read More
The Real Problem With CHIPS Subsidies
As the Senate and House of Representatives negotiate their so-called “China bill” or America COMPETES, one of the central issues is whether to give semiconductor companies subsidies to invest in the U.S. This would be a big mistake. Like most of COMPETES, the bill’s $50 billion handout to the semiconductor industry has little to do with beating China. In fact, it will help China achieve its… → Read More
Unleashing Its Market Is Way America Beats China
It’s not clear where things are headed in Congress on the so-called China bill, otherwise known as the America COMPETES Act. The House and Senate have each passed their own versions and appointed more than 60 congressmen and senators to work out a compromise. Where they come out ultimately is anyone’s guess. Both bills have so little to do with China that the best outcome would be tossing out… → Read More
Beijing’s Problem With the Truth
What comes to mind when you hear the words “lab leak theory”? Most of us would think “COVID-19,” the disease that has so disrupted our lives for two years now. Many would then attach a modifier to it like “discredited” or “debunked.” But those who do would be far behind the curve. Other than the fact that it came from China, the origin of COVID-19 remains an open question—even among the… → Read More
How the U.S. and Its Allies Can Weaken the Russian–Chinese Relationship
The Issue After months of military buildup around Ukraine, Russia used military force to change the borders of a European country for the second time in eight years. During the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, Russia launched a missile attack against every major city in Ukraine except Lviv. These attacks were followed by a major Russian ground operation in the north, east, and south of… → Read More
The Ukraine Crisis Should Give China Pause On Taiwan
China has a lot riding on the war in Ukraine. If the Russians win, Europe will be preoccupied for a long time to come, unable to further the transatlantic consensus that has slowly been building around confronting the challenge posed by China and, more broadly, the defense of the post-Cold War world Europe helped the U.S. create. A Russian stalemate in Ukraine would serve the same purpose. But… → Read More
China Thinks Time Is on Its Side Regarding Taiwan Takeover
Taiwan is in danger of being subsumed by China. But it’s not imminent, and it’s not because of what’s going on in Ukraine—at least not in the way you may think. Bringing Taiwan under its control has been the driving objective of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) foreign policy since its founding. An invasion of Taiwan, or even seizing one of its outlying islands, however, is fraught with… → Read More
There Is No Salvaging Congress’ Current Effort to Compete With China
The House of Representatives is considering the America COMPETES Act, a 3,000-page House response to the Senate’s United States Innovation and Competition Act. The $318 billion bill’s ostensible purpose is to address the wide-ranging challenge that China poses to America’s homeland, economy, global interests, and values. → Read More
Keeping the Spotlight on Hong Kong
We are now in the second year since the signing of the Hong Kong National Security Law. As the situation continues to worsen, the U.S. must redouble efforts to assist Hong Kongers and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its transgressions. Join us for this discussion on the worsening state of political freedom in Hong Kong and what Washington can do to help. → Read More
The Prospects for a Real “China Bill”
The U.S. Congress has become alive to the China challenge. Lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills to address specific concerns regarding Chinese behavior on the international stage. They have also moved on two comprehensive proposals that address the problem-set in the broadest possible way. It may be a new, third comprehensive proposal, however, that points to the future. → Read More
The Competition and Innovation Act Is Bad Enough. Don’t Make It Worse.
The United States Competition and Innovation Act, i.e., “the China bill,” continues its sleepy way through the Senate. But don’t be fooled by the long quorum calls and diversions to take care of other business. There are more than 400 amendments filed. → Read More
Assessing Beijing’s Power: A Blueprint for the U.S. Response to China over the Next Decades
Introduction There is a great deal of discussion among U.S. policymakers today about the challenges that China’s rising power presents for the United States. This discussion is welcome news as China, under the governance of the Chinese Communist Party, presents a combination of risks the United States has never before faced. → Read More
China Would Pay a Steep Price for an Armed Intervention in Hong Kong
As tensions continue in Hong Kong, it is important to assess whether the People’s Republic of China (PRC) might directly intervene with armed force. Needless to say, any intervention—even if technically in compliance with the Basic Law—would be destabilizing, not only to Hong Kong itself, but also to global financial markets and regional politics. → Read More
Can Macron and Trump Bring Stability to the Indo-Pacific Region?
For the last seven decades, the alliance between the North America and Europe has undergirded peace, freedom and prosperity across the Atlantic. President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Washington presents a perfect opportunity to build upon that achievement and extend the benefits of this remarkably successful partnership to the Indo-Pacific region. → Read More
Asia Trip a Chance for Trump to Set Things Right
Viewed from the capitals of the several countries President Donald Trump will visit next week, it has been a deeply unsettling year. What the United States says and does is central to their security, their economic well-being, and the overall stability of the region. Trump came into office off a campaign heavy on rhetoric that sometimes questioned America’s role in the world. → Read More