Chinese US experts once thought of US President Donald Trump as a mere businessman and a pragmatist who would prioritize economic ties with China over geopolitical issues. They predicted that he would adopt isolationism, thereby allowing China the opportunity to take control of the Asia-Pacific and the world.
They were wrong. Trump took the initiative from the beginning.
Following his phone call with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Trump challenged Beijing’s “one China” principle and criticized it for militarizing the South China Sea. He also criticized China for not meeting the responsibilities of a big power and curbing North Korea’s nuclear development, as well as currency manipulation and mercantilism.
This panicked Beijing, as he turned out to be entirely different from former US president Barack Obama, who would readily agree to any of Beijing’s requests.
Following Trump’s phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) earlier this month, Chinese state-owned media and Beijing’s mouthpieces soon began spreading the news that Trump had accepted “one China” and falsely claimed that Trump had made a major concession.
In fact, Trump did not back down and followed up on his show of goodwill with a strong statement from the White House, saying: “President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our ‘one China’ policy.”
The US’ “one China” policy is different from Beijing’s “one China” principle in that the former recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only China, but does not view China as having sovereignty over Taiwan. In addition, the US opposes the use of military force or other forms of coercion to annex Taiwan or otherwise change its status.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has mentioned the US’ commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances.” On Feb. 9, he attended a meeting of the White House National Security Council deciding the key topics for Trump’s conversation with Xi and the content of the administration’s “one China” policy. It has been reported that he refused to let Taiwan be used as a bargaining chip.
Several hours after his conversation with Xi, Trump held a White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe which unsettled and upset Beijing.
In the meeting, the two leaders promised to step up security cooperation between the US and Japan, which included the US confirming that defense of the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) — known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan — was part of the US’ commitment. Trump received Abe and his wife with high honors and even hosted the couple in his Miami resort, showcasing the two countries’ special rapport.
Trump is not an isolationist. His approach to foreign policy and national security is to promote “peace through strength.” He is significantly rebuilding the US Navy, increasing the number of warships from 274 to 350 after the Obama administration’s cuts to the nation’s defense budget.
Under Trump, the White House is taking a more aggressive position on the South China Sea issue, saying that in order to ensure the security and interests of itself and other nations in the region, it will prevent China from continuing to build artificial islands, expanding its military force in the disputed waters.
On Saturday, the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its battle group began patrolling the South China Sea, challenging China’s sovereignty claims by sailing within 12 nautical miles (22.2km) of its claimed territory.
This is a statement of the US’ determination to defend security in the Asia-Pacific region and counter China’s hegemony.
Parris Chang is professor emeritus of political science at Pennsylvania State University and former deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with