The US and China are once again clashing over sovereignty-related issues in the South China Sea. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently made it clear during an ASEAN meeting that the maintenance of stability and security in the South China Sea are both in the US’ national interest. China’s foreign minister later issued a rare strong condemnation of Clinton’s comments. Although this is an issue between the US and China, it is a good lesson for Taiwan.
First, no matter how much good will the US government shows China, or even if it were to go out of its way to please China, the totalitarian government in Beijing will continue its international expansion to reflect its growing economic and military strength while ignoring international conventions.
After coming to power, US President Barack Obama has made every effort to befriend China. In particular, he did not once mention the phrase “human rights” in his speeches during his first official visit to China.
In addition, the joint US-China declaration for the first time stated that the US “respects China’s sovereignty and the integrity of [China’s] territory.”
Following public criticism, the US said this was a reference to Tibet, not Taiwan and the South China Sea, but the statement gave Beijing room for interpretation.
Daniel Blumenthal, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, recently said in an article that Obama’s China-leaning policies are seen by Beijing as a sign of weakness, and that this has resulted in China’s continued expansion.
Taiwan’s China policy is in practice very close to an appeasement and concession policy. However, judging from the recent tension between the US and China, regardless of how much good will Washington shows Beijing, China’s totalitarian system dictates that it will continue its expansion and not give up its ambitions to take over Taiwan by military force.
Second, the US will not stand idly by and watch China’s military expansion. The current dispute is focused on sovereignty in the South China Sea, an area 100 times larger than Taiwan. Not only is the area thought to be rich in oil deposits and fish, it is also of strategic importance to sea traffic, with one third of the world’s ships traveling through the area.
Five countries — China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan — claim sovereignty over parts of this area. Since the US is paying close attention to the region, the issue includes six parties.
In the early 1990s, the parties signed a declaration stressing that they should put issues of sovereignty aside and focus on seeking common development, but in fact each country has occupied various islands and are pursuing independent development.
Obama’s compromises have given China the wrong impression, and when US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and the Senior Director for Asian Affairs of the National Security Council Jeff Bader visited China in March, China said for the first time that the South China Sea is a “core interest” that is crucial to its territorial integrity.
US experts say this is giving the South China Sea the same status as Tibet and Taiwan.
The US is on its guard against China’s expansion policy. The US secretary of defense, deputy secretary of state and many other US officials have stressed the need to maintain stability and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and Clinton has unambiguously declared that this is an issue of national interest to the US.
The recently concluded US-South Korean joint military exercise was meant to be a show of power and a deterrent to China’s expansion. If the US takes action over the unpopulated South China Sea, it will not sit idly by if China takes military action against Taiwan.
Third, China should be dealt with multilaterally rather than unilaterally. A majority of countries at the recent ASEAN meeting proposed multilateral negotiations in disapproval of the unilateral negotiations suggested by China, since they were concerned that the difference in economic and military size would make success in unilateral negotiations impossible for small countries.
Multilateral negotiations would be tantamount to involving the US, thus raising the talks to a multilateral international level. Beijing does not want, and even fears, such a situation.
The Wall Street Journal stated in its editorial on July 28 that: “Only US involvement can give ASEAN enough confidence to insist that Beijing submit to international law.”
ASEAN countries understand that they must use a multilateral approach to counter China’s unilateral proposition. However, Taiwan’s government is keen on dealing with China unilaterally.
Not only did it signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) even vowed that he will “never ask the US to defend Taiwan.”
ASEAN countries are competing to cooperate with the US in order to counter China’s expansion and pressure. However, Taiwan’s government is moving in the opposite direction by distancing itself from the US and leaning toward China.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) recently defended Ma, saying the president is not selling out Taiwan. I would like to hear him explain these irregular actions by the government.
Cao Changqing is a freelance writer based in the US.
TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU
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