On Jan. 9, the US House of Representatives unanimously passed the Taiwan Travel Act, and on Feb. 28, it was also passed by the Senate.
When it landed on US President Donald Trump’s desk, he did not veto it, nor did he passively let it take effect; instead he signed it into law on March 16.
The passage of the act, which encourages high-level exchanges between Taiwanese and US government officials, is significant for several reasons.
First, while it may be a minor issue for the US, it is a major step forward for Taiwan. US officials at all levels can visit friendly nations without any problems, but if another country wants to invite the US president, they have to wait in line.
For the US, including Taiwan in this treatment might just be a matter of gilding the lily, but for Taiwan, whose few remaining diplomatic allies rarely take the initiative to offer a gift, the Taiwan Travel Act is timely help to a friend in need.
In the past, Taiwanese presidents have only been able to transit through the US when visiting diplomatic allies, and there have been restrictions in who they can meet and talk to. These restrictions have now been relaxed and Taiwan can now enter the US through its main entrance, and that is a great improvement.
Second, it allows Taiwan to differentiate between friend an foe. The Taiwan Travel Act is a friendly gesture toward Taiwan and that is a good thing.
China, on the other hand, has been protesting and said that the act would have severe consequences for US-China relations since Congress started to promote the act.
In an editorial on Jan. 10, state-run tabloid the Global Times said that the act was a “Taiwan Destruction Act,” and that “once the act formally becomes law, China will liberate Taiwan with armed force.”
They could not have made it clearer who is and who is not Taiwan’s friend.
Third, Taiwan must choose the right side: Taiwan is squeezed between the US and China because Beijing makes it clear that it has territorial ambitions and claims sovereignty over Taiwan. That makes it clear that Taiwan in practice has no choice, as the only choice on offer is between the free and democratic US, a country that respects human rights, or an authoritarian, dictatorial China.
When it comes to making this choice, Taiwan can never take lightly the possibility that it might be sold out.
In the US, even a small bill like the Taiwan Travel Act must pass through the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed by the president.
In China, even a major thing like amending the constitution is decided by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) alone.
Surely it is easier for China than for the US to sell Taiwan down the river.
Finally, Taiwan must be courageous enough to follow its own path. The passage of the act angered Beijing, which sent its aircraft carrier Liaoning through the Taiwan Strait on March 20.
So what? Taiwan is not here to please China.
China is hostile to Taiwan and that means that there is a big chance that anything that is bad for China is good for Taiwan: Every time China tells Taiwan not to do something, Taiwan should consider the feasibility of doing it.
Taiwan has already been blocked from almost every international organization and it has been a long time since China changed from being an economic partner to being a competitor. The only trick left to China is to take all Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.
So what? What would be the difference if these insignificant countries remained Taiwan’s diplomatic allies or not?
To be blunt, the earlier Taiwan stops believing in the importance of the number of diplomatic allies it has, the sooner it will be ready to face a brighter future.
We must let China know that with the act and true friendship with Japan that has developed following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Taiwan stands to lose nothing even if it does not have a single diplomatic ally.
Chang Kuo-tsai is a retired associate professor at National Hsinchu University of Education and a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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