The US National Bureau of Asian Research is urging the US Congress to “rekindle” its contacts with the Legislative Yuan in Taipei as US-China relations move into a potentially difficult period.
“More frequent exchanges between members of the US Congress and their counterparts in Taiwan would be an important demonstration of the US’ commitment to democracy in a Chinese context,” a bureau report said.
Written by former assistant US trade representative for China Affairs Charles Freeman, the report said that whatever the outcome of next year’s presidential election, the US Congress should be at the forefront of international efforts to support the “impressive evolution of democracy” in Taiwan.
“The substantial history of inter-parliamentary relations between the US Congress and the Legislative Yuan merits rekindling,” Freeman said.
A senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Freeman said that the US Congress has a crucial role to play in stabilizing the US-China relationship.
“There are few examples in history where a de facto superpower like the US faced a rising power like China and did not enter into direct conflict,” Freeman said.
“Glossing over disagreements and competing interests is thus not an option for policymakers,” he said. “China is not the Soviet Union and the US is trying neither to contain China nor begin a new Cold War.”
However, Freeman said that other Asia-Pacific nations — trying to avoid being bullied by a rising China — are drawing the US into a potentially hostile military posture with China.
Military assistance to Taiwan and other US activities on China’s periphery “smack to many in Chinese policy circles of a Cold War-style containment policy,” he said.
Freeman said that next year’s presidential election will “largely be a referendum on the policies of President Ma Jing-jeou (馬英九), which have built closer economic ties between China and Taiwan.”
He said that if, “as many analysts predict,” the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is successful in defeating the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), “that could signal a cooling of relations between Beijing and Taipei, and tensions in the region could spike.”
Freeman said Taiwan has always been the biggest challenge to US-China relations.
“If the relationship between Beijing and Taiwan sours badly, US arms sales to Taiwan will be closely scrutinized for the degree to which they embolden those who advocate de jure independence from Chinese rule,” he said.
The US Congress will “invariably” be drawn into the debate on arms sales and it will be important for policymakers to understand and weigh in on what arms package will contribute to stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Freeman said there is an element of symbolism to exactly what weapons Taipei requests and what it actually purchases if those requests are approved.
“Getting the package right will take considerable technical and diplomatic skill,” he said.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS