The report also points to the harm to bilateral relations caused by political divisions in Taiwan, resulting in conflicting messages being sent to policymakers in Washington and splitting a once united "Taiwan lobby."
The problem, ironically, is the direct result of Taiwan's democratic evolution, it said.
A "major factor affecting US-Taiwan relations," the report says, "is the dissipation of the once powerful `Taiwan lobby' which according to several knowledgeable observers is a pale shadow of its former self."
"Ironically, the fragmentation of the Taiwan lobby can be traced to the development of full democracy and political pluralism in Taiwan, which began the erosion of the organized, unified KMT `machine' that once acted on behalf of Taiwan's interests in the United States," it said.
As a result, "there is no longer a single, coordinated `Taiwan' point of view presented to US officials and members of Congress. Now, there are multiple Taiwan messages from a variety of messengers often seeking to denigrate the requests or messages from other sources," it said.
This and "the carrying on of Taiwan's domestic political infighting in the congressional arena has had a negative affect in some congressional offices," the report said.
The report quotes Steve Yates, a former aide to US Vice President Dick Cheney, as advising Taiwan's politicians to "develop better appreciation for and experience with democratic institutions in order to move beyond the point where the `chief political strategy is pouting in perpetuity at your opponent.'"
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