Taipei Times: As you look back, how would you rate your actions during the past year or so that you have been the de facto ambassador? What were your biggest problems? And your biggest accomplishments? What did you enjoy most?
Joseph Wu (吳釗燮): I would say that the biggest difficulties for me in Washington, DC, and I don’t want to seem like I’m criticizing the administration, but I should point out that Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic relations with each other, and that can be difficult sometimes.
The United States does recognize Taiwan or the Republic of China as a country even though Taiwan is functioning as a de facto country, like an independent country.
So, the two perspectives are not in line with each other. At the same time China is rising economically, politically, diplomatically and militarily.
The United States needs the support and agreement of China and the cooperation of China in dealing with some of the issues.
Taiwan, as a major adversary of China, may suffer even though the United States continues to tell us that they will not compromise in dealing with Taiwan when they have to get China’s cooperation.
But the problem Taiwan faces is that China, through its growing strength around the world, is trying to deal with Taiwan from strength and tries to grab our diplomatic allies, tries to squeeze Taiwan out of international forums, tries to keep Taiwan out of informational organizations, and these kind of things.
Additionally, China has been increasing its military might across the Taiwan Strait geared specifically at Taiwan. Taiwan is being put under more pressure than before in its relations with the United States and its relations with the rest of the world because of the growing Chinese strength.
Some people have even started to think that because of the overwhelming Chinese military strength across the Taiwan Strait that we have to think about a new strategy in dealing with the situation.
Taiwan is in an unfortunate situation under this changing international power configuration.
So this is the second factor in the difficulties I have had to deal with in Washington, DC.
This is not the only thing I have to deal with. In fact, it is what the whole foreign policy establishment in Taiwan has to think very seriously about.
TT: With Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) opening to China, do you think your successor, Jason Yuan (袁健生), is going to have an easier job, or do you think that he is basically going to face the same problems?
Wu: Basically, he is going to inherit the same structural problems that I had to deal with. Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic relations, and I don’t think that Jason is going to be able to go to the State Department or the White House or to be present in some of the formal events held by the administration.
And even though Taiwan and China have started to have better relations because of the negotiations on charter flights and the tourism issue, if you look at the broader structures between Taiwan and China, China continues to strive to squeeze Taiwan out of international play and China continues to strengthen its military deployment against Taiwan.
I’m sure you remember that only two or three weeks ago, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xu Caihou (徐才厚), said that China will not reduce its military deployment against Taiwan.
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