Tsai foreign policy is positive
After the position was left vacant for a long time, US President Donald Trump has finally nominated an official for Asian and Pacific affairs. Randall Schriver, former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the administration of former US president George W. Bush, is expected to be appointed as assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, the top Asia policy job at the Pentagon.
He is a Taiwan advocate and an expert in Asia-Pacific affairs.
In his nomination hearing, Schriver asserted that the US should normalize arms sales to Taiwan and invest more resources in the security of its Asian partners. The nomination might be seen as a positive development for the Taiwan-US relationship.
Trump’s nomination of a Taiwan-friendly official, along with a series of moves by the US government, has indicated a warmer relationship with Taiwan.
During President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) state visit to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the southern Pacific, she received extensive media coverage during her stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.
In addition, two Republican members of the US House of Representatives proposed a draft Taiwan Security Act, the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has passed a Taiwan Travel Act and Taiwanese are now in the US’ Global Entry Program.
Taiwan-US relations are crucial for Taiwan, the US and the stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
The cross-strait relationship is another critical issue in the area. For the US government, maintaining stability and peace between Taiwan and China is the top priority and it fits US interests.
Tsai has emphasized that her cross-strait policy is to maintain the “status quo.”
In her Double Ten National Day address, Tsai mentioned her four “will nots” principle: Taiwan will not change its goodwill, change its commitments, revert to the old path of confrontation or bow to pressure.
The government has done its best to show goodwill toward China. The current cross-strait relationship can be viewed as a cold peace compared with the relationship under the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Furthermore, based on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) speech at the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress last month, while Taiwan remains a crucial issue, the Chinese government has other priorities at the moment.
The “status quo” might remain and is still acceptable for all counterparts in this region.
Ian Easton, a research fellow of the Project 2049 Institute focusing on Asia-Pacific issues, has said that the US government welcomes a stable and peaceful cross-strait relationship.
It encourages both sides of the Taiwan Strait to conduct constructive dialogue and maintain the security of the region.
Before Trump’s visit to Asia, people were worried that Taiwan might become a bargaining chip for the US.
However, it has turned out that the Taiwan issue was not mentioned during any formal discussions. The outcome of Trump’s tour is positive, because no news is good news.
Even though uncertainty is the trademark of the Trump administration, the Taiwan-US relationship remains confident and stable, and there is still room for improvement.
Although many challenges lie ahead, Tsai’s foreign policy is moving forward steadily.
Jack Lu
Taipei
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