International friends should impose a cost on China when it squeezes Taiwan’s space on the global stage, former deputy US national security adviser Stephen Yates said yesterday, adding that the US secretary of state should visit Taiwan whenever China poaches an ally.
Yates, who is a political commentator for Fox News, made the remarks at a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei.
He was accompanied by New York Post journalist Elisha Maldonado, American Conservative magazine senior writer Curt Mills and PLUS Communications managing director Josh Silberberg.
Photo: CNA
Asked if there are practical ways to protect Taiwan from losing more diplomatic allies, Yates said that free and democratic nations should join forces and impose a cost on China whenever it excludes Taiwan from global organizations, such as WHO meetings.
While he does not speak for US President Donald Trump, the US Congress, nor the American people, the US government should send senior officials, such as the secretary of state, to visit Taiwan to express support and “close the gap” if China poaches more allies, Yates said.
The Chinese government does not care about peace, but only about “control,” he said when asked to comment on so-called “peaceful unification.”
As shown by pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, a discussion about the viability of the so-called “one country, two systems” framework imposed by Beijing should be ended, he said.
Asked if his delegation had met with presidential candidates and top politicians in Taiwan, Yates said they visited the headquarters in Taipei of the Democratic Progressive Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) re-election campaign.
They also met with independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐), he said, expressing admiration for Lim’s career as a rock musician, as well as regret that he could not attend a Lim concert over the weekend.
They also met with personnel of the American Institute in Taiwan and the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, he said.
As they only had three days in Taiwan, they could not meet with more people, Yates said, adding that they only observed campaign activities and did not endorse any.
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