U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo‘s 9th statement lifted restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan interactions, a move that Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Chiu-sup said shows that Taiwan is taking a pragmatic and responsible foreign policy to enhance mutual trust between the U.S. and Taiwan. The Trump administration is seen as a model for Biden’s future dealings with China and Taiwan, based on the U.S.’s established anti-China sentiment and recognition of Taiwan’s importance.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement on September 9 saying that all self-imposed restrictions on the U.S. government’s policy toward Taiwan would be lifted. The State Department has issued guidelines on Taiwan under the authority of the Secretary of State, and the executive branch can now consider them null and void.
Pompeo noted that the State Department has developed a cumbersome set of internal restrictions on U.S. diplomats, agency staff and other officials when interacting with Taiwan over the past several decades, and that the U.S. government will no longer unilaterally adopt these restrictions to appease the Communist regime in Beijing, Pompeo said, adding that all such self-censored restrictions are being removed.
Through a statement, Pompeo said the U.S. government maintains unofficial partnerships around the world, and Taiwan is no exception. The U.S. and Taiwan are two democracies that share the values of individual liberty, the rule of law and respect for human dignity. This statement affirms that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship need not and should not be hamstrung by bureaucratic self-imposed restrictions.
Taiwan’s presidential administration expressed its appreciation. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Chiu-sup pointed out in an interview on the 11th that this is a big thing for the enhancement of Taiwan-U.S. relations, “We have been promoting this for a while, and Taiwan has been able to continuously enhance mutual trust with the United States because Taiwan has adopted a very pragmatic and responsible foreign policy. Taiwan and the United States share the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights, and because of this, cooperation between Taiwan and the United States on various international issues has progressed to being a global partner.”
According to the report, Pompeo’s statement lifted the 2015 Executive Memorandum on the Guidelines on the Relationship with Taiwan issued by the Barack Obama administration, which included a ban on the entry of personnel from the U.S. Representative Office into the State Department building and a ban on the entry of personnel from the State Department. The Obama administration’s statement lifted the “Guidelines on the Relationship with Taiwan” (Guidelines on the Relationship with Taiwan) issued by the Barack Obama administration in 2015, including the ban on the entry of personnel from the U.S. Representative’s Office into the State Department building, the ban on Taiwan raising the flag at Twin Oaks, and the ban on the display of the Republic of China flag in U.S. government agencies. The reason for this is that the then Representative to the U.S., Shen Lujuan, held a New Year’s Day flag-raising ceremony at Twin Oaks, which caused dissatisfaction on the U.S. side.
During the Trump presidency, there were many breakthroughs in U.S.-Taiwan relations, including a phone call with President Tsai Ing-wen right after his election. Former Representative to the U.S. Ko Suk-tai has had open access to the U.S. State Department for international meetings during his tenure. The U.S. has also often released photos of meetings between U.S. and Taiwan officials. The North American Affairs Coordinating Council has also been renamed the Taiwan-United States Affairs Council.
In response to this development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, as usual, expressed its firm opposition and strong condemnation. It also slammed: “Pompeo’s stream is advised to recognize the historical trend, stop manipulating Taiwan-related issues, and stop the retrograde action.” And the Taiwan Affairs Office also said that the Democratic Progressive Party to external forces as pawns, “relying on the United States to seek independence” will only bring serious disaster to the people of the island. The mainland will “take resolute and strong measures” to counteract the “Taiwan-US collusion” act.
The former representative of the Republic of China in the United States, Cheng Jianren, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia, “These restrictions are unreasonable, and there is nothing we can do if they want to do so, and we are happy to lift them. But he did it before he was going to step down, what was his consideration? Is it simply to improve relations with Taiwan? Or to further stimulate the Chinese mainland? It remains to be seen. How much can be continued with the Biden administration in power?”
Cheng Jianren mentioned that these restrictions on contacts are set by the U.S. side itself, sometimes relaxed and sometimes tightened. For example, in the past, Taiwan officials could enter and exit the U.S. Economic and Trade Representative Office, and there were restrictions on access to the State Department, the Defense Department and the White House. The extent to which the U.S. side is open to Taiwan depends entirely on the needs of the U.S. side.
On the eve of Trump’s ouster, he announced the lifting of restrictions on Taiwan’s engagement. Cheng interpreted it as more like rushing to work before stepping down, previously having considerations and concerns, but now doing it regardless of anything, while Taiwan should be cautious in responding because the U.S. side’s current actions, including sending the UN ambassador to Taiwan, are mainly aimed at Beijing.
Taiwan’s opposition parties expressed their pleasure, but doubts. The Taiwan People’s Party believes that the Trump administration’s term will expire, so is the U.S. side’s move a concession for the import of Lepigs? The public is concerned whether Taiwan can successfully participate in various international economic and trade agreements and international organizations? The Chinese KMT said that Pompeo’s declaration, whether it can be continued to the Biden administration will be a key indicator, not a flash in the pan. The DPP government should also be pragmatic in its response and not become a bargaining chip in the game between the US and China.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Professor Emeritus Ding Shufan of the National Chengchi University said, “The old Communist Party is jumping because the DPP is in power? I think the blue camp people follow the Communist Party dance, I think it is very shameful, this is a from the Ma government era this is always in the process, it is neither a bomb, nor a gift, but a normal interaction should be this way.”
Ding Shufan mentioned that the gradual removal of U.S. restrictions on interactions with Taiwan, and the U.S. announcement last year of a meeting between Under Secretary for Asia-Pacific Shih Tat-Wai and Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. Hsiao Mei-Chin at the State Department, was also a major breakthrough. The Taiwan Travel Act, passed by the U.S. three years ago, only says that it encourages high-level visits between Taiwan and the U.S., but does not say which high-levels are which. The U.S. side’s “workbook” is the key to the extent of the change. This is similar to the relationship between the United States and Palestine.
Some commentators believe that Trump’s lifting of restrictions on Taiwan before he leaves office is to throw the Biden administration a curveball. The New York Times also reported that the Trump administration is trying to consolidate a hard-line pattern of resistance to China at the end of its term, and there is a backlash within the State Department that the Biden administration may reverse its decision.
The Trump administration is trying to consolidate its hard-line resistance to China at the end of its term.
The company’s main goal is to help the company to solve the problem of the problem. First, he did not violate one China, Pompeo said Taiwan is ‘free China’, the future Taiwan-US interaction also has to go through the ‘American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)’. Even if Beijing has an opinion, it can only say that Pompeo is gradually changing one-China, with a whale of a way, seeing that Beijing has not taken any very drastic action.”
Ding Shufan said he would not simplify it by seeing Trump as playing the “Taiwan card”, but as a reaction to the strong anti-China sentiment in the United States, and it is estimated that Biden would not veto it. In 2008, when Obama took office, Secretary of State Hillary said in a public speech that the United States would “be in the same boat” with China, and was ridiculed for showing weakness with China.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Guo Yuren, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Regional Studies, agreed that the lifting of U.S. restrictions on Taiwan relations does not violate the long-standing U.S. One-China policy, and that the two do not contradict each other. The removal of U.S. restrictions on Taiwan at this time has five strategic implications, one of which is that the Trump regime is testing China’s bottom line before January 20. In the context of the qualitative change in U.S.-China relations, both the United States and China recognize that Taiwan’s importance has increased significantly.
Guo Yuren said, “The Chinese Communist Party’s sausage slicing success against Hong Kong over the past three years has resulted in a near loss of the will to resist in Hong Kong, and the U.S. is warning the Chinese Communist Party that the U.S. is unlikely to sit back and watch Taiwan’s sausage slicing strategy.”
Guo Yuren also said that the U.S. executive power, the State Department reinterpretation of the Taiwan Relations Act to expand the nature of official U.S. engagement with official Taiwan. This move also has a demonstration effect on the Biden regime, if necessary, Taiwan is the U.S. bargaining chip and policy tool against China.
Recent Comments