Practical measures of support for Taiwan by the US government are more important than diplomatic recognition of the country, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) William Stanton said on Saturday at a forum in Taipei.
Stanton said that he does not foresee any major changes in the US’ engagement with Taiwan, which is why he was surprised when former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in Taiwan earlier this month called for the US to recognize Taiwan as a “free and sovereign country.”
“Setting aside whether secretary of state Pompeo had ever proposed this to [former US president Donald] Trump, a more important question, from my perspective, is whether he had discussed this first with the Taiwanese government, either before or during his visit,” Stanton said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Stanton, a chair professor at National Chengchi University and a lecturer at its International College of Innovation, said he believes that any shift in the US’ position on cross-strait relations must be coordinated with the Taiwanese government.
“It is easy for a US politician to take a forward-leaning stand on Taiwan, but Taiwan will always bear the brunt of any People’s Republic of China reaction to policy shifts,” said Stanton, who served as AIT director from 2009 to 2012.
Pompeo was “one of the few top officials in the Trump administration who really cared about Taiwan,” Stanton said.
However, there is no reason for a shift in the US’ diplomatic policy on Taiwan, he added.
“The Taiwanese government needs to consider not only the practical potential gains of diplomatic recognition but also the possible costs,” he said.
The US should avoid rhetoric and take practical steps to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan and boost its defense capabilities, he said.
US President Joe Biden and his administration “have repeatedly said the US’ support for Taiwan is ‘rock-solid,’ but no one knows what that specifically means,” Stanton said. “Even the metaphor is troubling. Not all rock is solid. Shale is usually soft and brittle, and limestone is soft as well.”
He said that Washington should consider supportive measures such as signing a bilateral free-trade agreement, lifting the existing range restrictions on Taiwan’s missiles and expanding exchanges so that more young Americans can visit Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on Pompeo’s call for the US to recognize Taiwanese sovereignty, saying that the former US official is now a private citizen and it respected his right to comment.
The AIT was established in 1979 to represent US interests in Taiwan when diplomatic ties between the countries were cut.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS