Former US representative to the UN John Bolton said that Taipei could gain “substantial support” from its neighbors by distancing itself from China’s “belligerent” declaration of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
“Taiwan has an interesting potential role,” he said.
Bolton said that by stating publicly that it does not recognize Beijing’s defense zone, and that it wants to confer with Japan, South Korea and other nations to align their responses, Taiwan could reduce its international isolation.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal — the article is also to be published by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) — Bolton said that by taking action now, Taiwan would “serve notice” that it will not accept being declared part of China’s next power projection.
A senior fellow at AEI, Bolton said that China’s declaration on Nov. 23 of an air defense identification zone over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) — also claimed by Taiwan and Japan, where they are known as the Senkaku Islands — “is indicative of a much larger problem for the United States.”
China’s growing military and its “aggressive territorial claims” leave the US in urgent need of new strategic thinking.
Bolton suggested three “building blocks” for a more realistic strategy.
Washington has an “enormous opportunity” to maintain and expand its influence along China’s periphery from India to Japan, he said.
“Whether we have the wit to exploit this opportunity remains to be seen,” he added.
US allies in Asia would welcome a stronger, more visible Washington role in the region “even if they won’t necessarily say so expressly in today’s uncertain and dangerous environment,” he said.
Second, the US can no longer countenance massive military-budget cuts and should welcome Japan resuming a normal nation’s full self-defense role, Bolton said.
Third, the US and its allies should press China to join a vigorous campaign to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by North Korea, Iran and others.
Resident fellow at AEI Dan Blumenthal points out that within China, domestic insecurity is growing, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) may be facing a series of economic crises and the Chinese population is aging, which will be very expensive.
“Washington and its allies need to undermine China’s strategy and the coercion that it requires,” says Blumenthal in a commentary published by The National Interest.
“Subtly demonstrating China’s manifold problems and vulnerabilities may help Xi get back to the important work of solving his country’s manifold problems,” says Blumenthal.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
RSS