During her trip to Beijing last week, the US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice met with three top Chinese officials -- Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Based on their meetings, it was obvious that Beijing's opposition to arms sales to Taiwan was the central message conveyed to Rice while discussing the topic.
Other issues regarding Taiwan, for example, dealt with Li's so-called "three stops." Li urged the US to stop selling arms to Taiwan, stop supporting Taiwan's participation in international organizations for sovereign states and stop exchanges with the government -- on top of a statement of Beijing's refusal to accept Taiwan independence were communicated in all three meetings. The issue of arms sales was the most sensitive, judging from the timing and the backdrop of these talks.
A few events highlight just how sensitive the issue of arms sales really is. First, there are large-scale military exercises planned by both the US and China in the region. This month, China will hold and amphibious landing exercise on a group of islands in the Taiwan Strait. This move is interpreted as intending to demonstrate China's determination to conquer Taiwan by using force in the event Taiwan declares independence.
On the other hand, the US is also deploying up to seven aircraft carrier strike groups in the Pacific as part of its new Fleet Response Plan. Many have interpreted this plan as a strong show of force by the US, not only to North Korea, but also China, of its determination and willingness to maintain peace and order in the region and the status quo in Taiwan Strait.
Then there is the unprecedented open, public and high-profile talks between Taiwan and the US on the sale of advanced weapons. It is expected that the deal will be approved, since both governments are eager to push it through -- despite the fact that the pan-blue camp continues to voice opposition over things such as the overall cost of the deal. Once the deal is sealed, the arms purchased by Taiwan should slow down China's military domination and even tip the scales somewhat in the balance of power between both sides of the strait.
The military exercise and the urgency attached to the arms sales to Taiwan by the US shows that the US is genuinely concerned about maintaining the balance of military power and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. This goes to show that accusations by the pan-blue camp that the arms sales are part of some "under-the-table" exchange of favors between the US and Taiwan are completely groundless. Moreover, the strong reaction from Beijing regarding the arms sale also refute another wild allegation by the pan-blue camp -- that the US has obtained the tactful consent of China before hand.
The truth of matter is that China has very little reason to do such things. First, as a result of years of military expansion, China is at a critical point in turning the military balance of power in its favor in the Taiwan Strait. Second, since the US is still seeking China's support on the issue of North Korea, China is unlikely to see any reason to back down on the issue of Taiwan at the moment.
Finally, in view of the power struggle between Hu and Jiang, it is unlikely that either camp within the Beijing leadership will show weakness on the issue of Taiwan.
Hopefully Rice's visit to China will put into perspective for the people of Taiwan how important the need is for the purchase of defensive weapons.
The conflict in the Middle East has been disrupting financial markets, raising concerns about rising inflationary pressures and global economic growth. One market that some investors are particularly worried about has not been heavily covered in the news: the private credit market. Even before the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, global capital markets had faced growing structural pressure — the deteriorating funding conditions in the private credit market. The private credit market is where companies borrow funds directly from nonbank financial institutions such as asset management companies, insurance companies and private lending platforms. Its popularity has risen since
The Donald Trump administration’s approach to China broadly, and to cross-Strait relations in particular, remains a conundrum. The 2025 US National Security Strategy prioritized the defense of Taiwan in a way that surprised some observers of the Trump administration: “Deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority.” Two months later, Taiwan went entirely unmentioned in the US National Defense Strategy, as did military overmatch vis-a-vis China, giving renewed cause for concern. How to interpret these varying statements remains an open question. In both documents, the Indo-Pacific is listed as a second priority behind homeland defense and
In an op-ed published in Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said that Taiwan should not have to choose between aligning with Beijing or Washington, and advocated for cooperation with Beijing under the so-called “1992 consensus” as a form of “strategic ambiguity.” However, Cheng has either misunderstood the geopolitical reality and chosen appeasement, or is trying to fool an international audience with her doublespeak; nonetheless, it risks sending the wrong message to Taiwan’s democratic allies and partners. Cheng stressed that “Taiwan does not have to choose,” as while Beijing and Washington compete, Taiwan is strongest when
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) are expected to meet this month in Paris to prepare for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). According to media reports, the two sides would discuss issues such as the potential purchase of Boeing aircraft by China, increasing imports of US soybeans and the latest impacts of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. However, recent US military action against Iran has added uncertainty to the Trump-Xi summit. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) called the joint US-Israeli airstrikes and the
RSS