As Taiwan has had problems keeping diplomatic information secret, the US-Taiwan relationship is a sensitive one that needs a different kind of dialogue.
China's efforts to coerce countries and international organizations to block Taiwanese participation in the international community have intensified, undermining Taiwanese relations. The damage this coercion is doing to Taiwan is rarely talked about. It is clear that US commitment to averting coercion as suggested by the TRA has wavered.
There is something the US could do to help Taiwan, however, which China might find difficult to suppress: It is for the US to agree to Taiwan's request for a free-trade agreement. It would be a good move for both the US and Taiwan, and may help revive the TRA, which hasn't been adhered to.
Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and now a special adviser to the Liberty Times Group. The views expressed in this article are his own.
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