“The initial policy of the US of reassuring China that it did not seek to contain it didn’t work and encouraged Beijing to ask for more concessions,” he said.
As a result, Beijing has “rejected the ‘status quo’” in the Taiwan Strait, “rejected customary international law in Southeast Asia,” resorted to emotions in settling disputes in the East China Sea and sided with North Korea in the March 26 sinking of the South Korean vessel Cheonan.
Blumenthal said the US should encourage Japan to end its economic stagnation and adopt more coherent and independent strategic policies, adding that Beijing’s perception of a declining Japan had allowed China to think it could act more forcefully.
On the impact of the US--Japanese alliance on Taiwanese security, Blumenthal said that only through a strong US-Japanese alliance — to which Taiwan is “inextricably tied” — would Taipei have the confidence to face China from a position of strength.
“What’s often overlooked is what an insecure Taiwan could do if it feels isolated and without strong allies,” he said.
RSS