The Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives recently passed the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act amid tensions across the Taiwan Strait. But Taiwan does not seem to appreciate the move. Stephen Chen (3紊??, Taiwan's economic and cultural representative in the US, remains cool toward the act, prompting DPP legislators to demand his replacement. Apart from Chen, Defense Minister Tang Fei (-
Why are the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reluctant to support a law which is apparently in Taiwan's security interests?
The chief purpose of the TSEA is for the US Congress to participate in the decision making process for weapon sales to Taiwan. The act stipulates that US executive authorities must report to Congress on Taiwan's military needs, as well as the reasons for any "yes" or "no" to Taiwan's requests. It also requires that executive authorities submit a detailed list of US weapons sales to Taiwan. Meanwhile, the US Defense Department is to carry out military exchanges with Taiwan under Congressional supervision.
In fact, most of these activities have been going on in the dark for years. Placing them in broad daylight and reporting them to Congress will ostensibly have a public relations effect -- politically and diplomatically. However, these moves will inevitably invite protests and obstruction from Beijing, which will cause misunderstandings within the US administration and eventually harm weapons sales to Taiwan, Tang Fei told lawmakers. In fact, the Clinton administration has been fiercely opposed the TSEA, and Taiwan has ordered its de facto ambassador in the US not to "interfere" in the matter.
As a result, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA,
The US is not afraid to let Beijing know of its military cooperation with Taiwan because it is a way of asserting the US commitment to a peaceful resolution. However, the US cannot give China any justification to accuse it of violating the three communiques. This is the balancing act the US government has been performing across the Taiwan Strait.
Kurt Campbell, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian Affairs, has been known to be "pro-Taiwan" since he is in charge of US-Taiwan military exchanges. However, he has also strongly opposed the TSEA in Congress because it will make his job even more difficult. For Taiwan, the act will cause harm before it brings any good.
Sino-US military cooperation began as early as 1989. Although suspended after the Tiananmen incident, it resumed in 1993. To date, more than 100 PLA officers have received training in the US.
The US military's idea is that the exchanges will help China better understand US military might and will prevent any possible Chinese follies. On the other hand, they will also bring more transparency to the Chinese military and help establish mutual confidence, which will prevent miscalculation in times of crisis. The recent appointment of Admiral Joseph Prueher, former commander of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, as ambassador to China has made the concept even more obvious.
Amid its complex relations with China and the US, Taiwan often needs to be circumspect to maintain its national interests, although the Taiwanese public may not always be able to appreciate it.
In this regard, however, Israel may serve as a good example for Taiwan, having in the past endured a lot of humiliation for the sake of its survival and security.
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