At an international conference on China’s rise yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) accused Beijing of refusing to be a “responsible stakeholder” in regional peace, adding that her party would continue to urge the US to sell defensive weapons to Taiwan.
Tsai said that as other countries strive to rebalance the global economy, China continues to subsidize state-owned enterprises, manipulate interest rates and pursue “indigenous innovation,” which effectively means stealing other nations’ intellectual property.
“In Copenhagen, China also showed that it was not willing to be a ‘responsible stakeholder,’ but rather wishes to have a free ride as a ‘developing nation,’” she said.
There has been developing discomfort with Chinese practices, she said, adding that China’s assertive claim over the South China Sea has cast a chill over relations with other countries in the region.
Her party, whether in power or not, would continue to urge the US to sell defensive weapons to Taiwan “the sooner, the better,” she said.
“We need sufficient security deterrence capability to have no fear in our future negotiations with China,” she said. “We trust the US will adhere to the Taiwan Relations Act, not only to provide necessary defensive weapons to Taiwan, but also to maintain a significant presence in the region to deter China from initiating any military adventures.”
Tsai made the remarks during a keynote speech she gave on the first day of an international conference titled: “A Rising Chinese Hegemony and Challenges to the Region.” The two-day event was hosted by Taiwan Brain Trust and Project 2049 Institute at the Grand Formosa Regent Hotel in Taipei.
Unlike its Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) counterpart, Tsai said since the creation of the DPP more than two decades ago, it had been fighting for the rights of all people, democratic participation in decision-making and fair and respectful trade relations.
The key element underpinning the party’s international policy is to adhere to the values of democracy to build up the country’s international relations, she said.
“Instead of turning to China as ‘the future’ — that is, the way President Ma [Ying-jeou, 馬英九] and the KMT are inclined to do — our objective is to work with our democratic friends around the world and then reach out to China,” she said.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an interesting example of how this might be done, she said, adding that she hoped the TPP would emerge as an economic organization that is inclusive and keeps China’s economic practices in line with the rule of law, protection of intellectual property rights, proper currency evaluation and fair domestic policies.
Meanwhile, Randall Schriver, chief executive of the Project 2049 Institute, expressed concern over Washington’s restraint and its ability to respond in a comprehensive way to China’s challenge.
Schriver said China posed comprehensive challenges that required a comprehensive response. The challenges included military buildup, increase in defense budgets, economic challenges and China’s attempt to integrate economic and trade strategy with diplomatic and security challenges.
“We need to collaboratively think about how to respond to this challenge across all spectrum of issues,” Schriver said.
“This is indeed an important time, indeed an important issue and the United States must play a role in my mind if we are going to respond in the most effective way possible, but as the United States is losing its confidence, it’s their impression that it’s time to reach accommodation and work more cooperatively with Beijing,” he said.
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