The outcome of the US presidential election shows that the governing and opposition parties in the US still have major differences. Yet, in dealing with issues regarding national security, the US Congress, regardless of party affiliation, is united against external threats. On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported a resolution (411-3) condemning the EU's intention to lift its arms embargo on China.
The resolution stated that China has been stepping up its military buildup, including the deployment of hundreds of missiles targeting Taiwan, and that China's arms manufacturers transferred military technology to Iran. Therefore, the EU's intention to lift its arms embargo will jeopardize Taiwan's military as well as US forces in Asia.
The US State Department recently warned the EU not to lift the embargo lest this endanger international security. In addition, former CIA director James Woolsey recently said in testimony to the the House of Representatives that he considers China a major threat to the US. Faced with internal problems, an authoritarian regime such as China would seek to divert internal pressures by targeting an enemy. The easiest enemies for China are Taiwan and the US.
During his testimony, Woolsey pointed out that Beijing's latest defense white paper, China's National Defense in 2004, released in December, described in detail Beijing's hostility towards Washington, as well as how the People's Liberation Army is striving to modernize. Woolsey said that this is a serious problem caused by the Chinese regime, and that the Chinese leaders are nervous, as those without legitimacy are always nervous. Otherwise, how can anyone explain their relentless attacks against the Falun Gong?
Woolsey said that tens or even hundreds of millions of people in China are unemployed. Beijing's leaders are paying particular attention to the matter, because social unrest will threaten their ability to rule. When autocrats face social unrest, they often try to find a foreign enemy for the public to focus on. Naturally, the most convenient enemies are Taiwan, and the US which protects it.
China is already a leading nuclear power, and is rapidly modernizing its military. The US should be cautious about this. While handling the war in Iraq, it should not ignore the possibility of a showdown in the Taiwan Strait.
The US Congress, the State Department and the US intelligence community appear to be in general agreement about China. During the Clinton administration, the US adopted a policy of engagement and treated China as a strategic partner. After the spy plane incident of April 2001, the US started to perceive China as a strategic rival. Subsequently, there was a re-emergence of engagement because of Washington's need for Chinese support for its war on terror, its actions in Afghanistan and efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear-weapons program.
Now, however, there is a growing current of opinion demanding that Washington be wary of the potential threat posed by China. This is a practical and far-sighted strategy.
Although China and the US are separated by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, many people see clearly the nature and direction of Sino-US relations. China and Taiwan are separated only by the Taiwan Strait. Beijing also has 706 missiles targeting Taiwan. Why are there are still so many people who are uncertain whether China sees Taiwan as a threat or a partner?
In the event of a war with China, Taiwan has some surprisingly tough defenses that could make it as difficult to tackle as a porcupine: A shoreline dotted with swamps, rocks and concrete barriers; conscription for all adult men; highways and airports that are built to double as hardened combat facilities. This porcupine has a soft underbelly, though, and the war in Iran is exposing it: energy. About 39,000 ships dock at Taiwan’s ports each year, more than the 30,000 that transit the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of their inbound tonnage is coal, oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG),
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
To counter the CCP’s escalating threats, Taiwan must build a national consensus and demonstrate the capability and the will to fight. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often leans on a seductive mantra to soften its threats, such as “Chinese do not kill Chinese.” The slogan is designed to frame territorial conquest (annexation) as a domestic family matter. A look at the historical ledger reveals a different truth. For the CCP, being labeled “family” has never been a guarantee of safety; it has been the primary prerequisite for state-sanctioned slaughter. From the forced starvation of 150,000 civilians at the Siege of Changchun
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