The visit of America’s speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has Chinese tempers flaring. We ask what the trip suggests about American policy and what it means for Taiwan. Crowdfunding is making a real difference in the war in Ukraine—but its effects vary between the two sides. And a close listen to a young pianist’s prizewinning Rachmaninoff-concerto performance. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.