Gao's plan to visit China comes with an escape hatch already in place.
During her congressional testimony on October 17, she hinted at a conditional commitment: should the Congress approve, she would attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen in mid-November.
It's a transparent fabrication—lying so often that even the liar may no longer feel the weight of deception.
The actual procedural step is straightforward: a brief notification to the House and Senate Committees on Operations prior to departure.
This is not an approval process but rather a notification or registration requirement—a formality, not a gatekeeping mechanism.
After years in politics, she cannot be unaware of this standard procedure.
By emphasizing “if approved by Congress,” she implies that the outcome depends on congressional discretion, effectively pre-emptively constructing a diplomatic exit strategy and a face-saving fallback.
Such a move reveals a lack of understanding of basic diplomatic mechanics.
In reality, membership grants automatic eligibility—the right to attend is determined by status as a member. However, actual participation requires an official invitation from the host, along with arrangements for entry and logistics.
Therefore, attendance is not guaranteed simply by membership; it does not mean one can walk into a meeting without formal invitation.
The underlying point remains clear: presence still hinges on a formal invitation from the host, not just membership status.
Membership confers organizational eligibility; logistical execution is a separate matter entirely.
Behind the scenes, the APEC countdown has less than a month remaining. China’s official invitation has yet to arrive. Japanese media outlets have expressed growing concern over shifting diplomatic language, even speculating about potential exclusion—indicating stagnation in the operational coordination phase.
Thus, by invoking Congress early, she ensures a plausible excuse should the trip ultimately fail: the fault lies not in absent invitations, but in unmet legislative procedures.
This at least preserves a semblance of diplomatic dignity.
After decades in public office, resorting to such simplistic tactics is disheartening.
A self-issued pass carries little weight if others do not recognize it.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879386228715520/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.