The reason was the view that some, perhaps a majority, of the people on Taiwan might not agree if ever they were permitted to say so.
The word "Chinese" in current circumstances now refers to the people in the People's Republic of China, and those in Taiwan who want it to apply to them. Recent remarks in the US from government officials and some experts, in mentioning visits by opposition leaders to China and how the US sees it as beneficial for the Chinese on both sides, may or may not always mean what is intended.
There has been some speculation in the media that the US and China are drawing closer to an agreement that Taiwan is Chinese and that independence will be opposed. That may be pure politicking in an election period, and in any event would need the consent of the Taiwanese people. For some, a more immediate concern is that the US may be supporting an opposition that would accept this as a matter of policy.
In the Bush speech there was no statement about security differences between the US and China, nor was there much about differences on economic issues. Within the US, there are also discrepancies over how to manage these issues. Experts that consider themselves to be realistic more often seek to compromise, and those that give more importance to values call for a stronger stance.
For the US, comparisons to similar issues with other countries in the past can be made, though no two can be exactly the same. Previous problems with Japan, especially over trade imbalances, were eventually overcome, but Japan financed its economic growth largely with its own currency, and mostly with its own companies. On security issues, trying to work with a strong potential adversary to avoid war while also preparing for the opposite is also not new for the US. In the Soviet era it was called a cold war.
The US-China relationship, and the policies that manage it, are going through a period of uncertainty in both countries. Where they go will have a fundamental impact on Taiwan.
Strengthening Taiwan's democracy at home, and finding ways to influence the people in those countries in East Asia that oppose democracy, especially China, would greatly strengthen Taiwan's relationship with the US, and its place in the international community.
Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and a special adviser to the Liberty Times Group. The views expressed in this article are his own.
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