This policy helped Taiwan overcome the threat of Chinese invasion, and develop its current democracy and prosperity. However, the US' policy did not solve the Taiwan issue. To this day Taiwan lives with the threat of military action from China. In light of the US' current security strategy in East Asia, this threat will remain, and it is hard to see it receding in the foreseeable future.
The US is using three methods to avert China's military threat against Taiwan. The first is persuading China to restrain itself. The second is selling arms to Taiwan. The third is opposing Taiwan's "provocative behavior."This is a passive approach, playing a game of balance.
Why doesn't the US take the Taiwan issue to the UN to debate it? It could allow the UN to safeguard Taiwan's safety by thoroughly clearing away China's threats to Taiwan.
Christensen said in his speech that the US government was "trying to help preserve and expand the Taiwan people's international space."
How can we put this statement to the test?
The US State Department could consider, or not be opposed to, taking the Taiwan issue to the UN for discussion. It could support Taiwan in setting up a Taiwan liaison office in the UN. It could reconcile its conflicts with Taiwan. Then we would know we can believe Christensen's words.
Chen Hurng-yu is a professor at Tamkang University.
Translated by Anna Stiggelbout
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