The US must be prepared to “impose costs” on China for its bellicosity and threats toward Taiwan, as well its actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday.
Sullivan made the comments during an online discussion with Robert O’Brien, his predecessor from the administration of former US president Donald Trump, on the transition of power and US foreign policy.
The discussion was hosted by the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace.
Photo: AFP
O’Brien named China as the top foreign policy challenge being handed over to US President Joe Biden, citing its increasingly “assertive” approach to Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and India.
In response, Sullivan proposed four steps the US can take to contend with the challenges that China poses.
The first step, Sullivan said, is to recognize that Beijing is making the case that the Chinese model is better than the US model, and is pointing to dysfunction and division in the US as evidence of this claim.
To combat this argument, the US must “refurbish the foundations of [its] democracy” by tackling social problems, such as racial and economic inequality, he said.
Second, the US would be most effective in advancing its vision for a free, prosperous and equitable society if it does so “in lockstep with its democratic allies and partners,” Sullivan said.
With its allies in Europe and Asia, the US can lead “a chorus of voices” that collectively represents more than half of the world’s economy, which would give it “leverage” to stand up to Chinese pressure, he said.
Third, the US must increase public investment in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology and clean energy, as a great deal of the competition between the US and China would be decided by which country enjoys a technological advantage, he added.
The last step is for the US to speak with clarity and consistency in regards to China and other foreign policy issues, Sullivan said.
Specifically, this includes “being prepared to act as well as to impose costs for what China is doing in Xinjiang, what it’s doing in Hong Kong, and for the bellicosity and threats that it is projecting toward Taiwan,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a conversation on Friday with the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said that Taiwan-US ties were “off to a good start” under the Biden administration.
Asked about the widespread support in Taiwan for Trump, which put the nation at odds with many other democratic countries, Hsiao said that Taiwan’s government “never takes a position on domestic US politics.”
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS