Taiwan’s interests are unlikely to be bartered away by US President Donald Trump at a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in exchange for China’s cooperation on North Korea, academics said.
Beijing hastily demanded the summit because it wants to restore US-China relations to their level under the administration of former US president Barack Obama, National Chung Hsing University professor of international politics Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said, adding that Xi also needs to maintain the image that he can effectively manage relations with the US.
“As such, China will have more expectations from the summit than the US,” he said.
Asked about the risk of Taiwan being used as a bargaining chip, Tsai said that while it is possible for China to try to test Trump’s position on Taiwan, the influence of many Trump Cabinet members who are wary of Beijing should not be overlooked.
The summit is likely to focus on North Korea and US-China bilateral security and trade issues, on which Washington expects Beijing to take more concrete action, he added.
As a result, the US is unlikely to concede Taiwan’s interests in exchange for Chinese concessions on North Korea, Tsai said, adding: “Instead of asking China for help, the US is putting pressure on China.”
National Sun Yat-sen University professor of China and Asia-Pacific studies Kuo Yu-jen (郭育仁) concurred, saying that the Trump administration’s attitude “makes it unlikely that China will gain much on the Taiwan issue this time.”
However, while it is not likely that a fourth joint US-China communique will be issued at the summit, Taipei should take seriously the possibility of such a statement being issued, Kuo said.
Taipei should observe the summit closely to take timely action to forestall China’s attempts to take advantage of Taiwan, especially in light of Beijing’s efforts to shape the narrative after a joint statement in 2009 by Obama and then-Chinese president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), he added.
Taipei should be ready to immediately demand clarification from Washington if Beijing attempts to manipulate political language to refer to China’s “one China” principle or other Taiwan-related issues, regardless of whether a joint statement is issued at the summit, Tsai said.
Trump’s main concern is North Korea’s nuclear weapons and its support of terrorism, problems that China has not been active in solving, National Sun Yat-sen University professor of China and Asia-Pacific studies Lin Wen-chun (林文程) said.
If Trump begins to see China as a threat, Taiwan’s importance could rise, and as many members of his Cabinet have been dependable friends of Taipei, there would be an opportunity to secure the sale of advanced fighter aircraft, he said.
Trump’s unpredictability might prompt Xi to adopt a more cautious approach on cross-strait issues, which could be advantageous for Taipei, he added.
Many US voters who supported Trump dislike China, so he might need to balance maintaining a relationship with Beijing and not making concessions, meaning the summit is likely to be more symbolic than substantive, Japan-based Doshisha University professor of law Koji Murata said.
Three passengers and the assailant were reportedly injured in a knife attack on the Taichung MRT on Tuesday. The Rapid Transit Brigade of the Taichung Police Department is still investigating the incident, with no motive immediately apparent. Taichung Police Commissioner Lee Wen-chang (李文章) said that at least four people were injured in the attack, and the suspect has been taken into custody. The incident occurred at about 11:15am on a train car near Taichung City Hall Station. Witnesses reported seeing a man attacking others with a knife, while other passengers tried to grab his hair or fend him off with umbrellas. Three people were reportedly
‘OBNOXIOUS MAN’: The KMT’s Chen Ching-hui moved into Chung Chia-pin’s path atop the podium and reached for him before he grabbed at her legs with both hands Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said he slipped and lost his balance, and did not know who was around him, after jumping onto the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei. He apologized after a collision with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), who moved to intercept him as he mounted the podium. There was pushing and shoving when the session started in the morning as KMT lawmakers attempted to block access to the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) so he could preside over the session. Video footage showed Chung step on a chair and
While it is common to see bumper stickers informing other drivers about important information, such as “baby on board” or “rookie driver,” some motorist in Taiwan are using creative statements to warn other drivers to keep a safe distance to avoid a collision. A photograph recently circulating on the Internet showed a van in Changhua City with a bumper sticker saying that the driver received their license after taking the test three times, so it is dangerous to drive close to the vehicle. The person who took the photograph said all vehicles behind the van appeared to “subconsciously” maintaining a safe distance. Some
Taipei police on Saturday arrested 24 female Thai tourists on suspicion of working as hostesses and engaging in illegal activities at an underground bar in Zhongshan District (中山), the distict’s police precinct said in a statement yesterday. The police also arrested five other people involved in the operation, including the 29-year-old bar owner surnamed Chiang (蔣), and 17 customers, the statement said. The 24 Thai women were fined an undisclosed amount in accordance with the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) by the police and transferred to a National Immigration Agency (NIA) special brigade in Taipei for repatriation to Thailand. The cases of