U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Hoekstra invited Taiwan‘s representative to the Netherlands, Chen Hsin-sin, to the embassy for a meeting. (Screenshot from Hoekstra’s Twitter feed)
After the State Department lifted restrictions on exchanges between U.S. and Taiwanese officials, Assistant Secretary Cooper met with Taiwan’s Representative to the U.S. Mei-Chen Hsiao in Washington, D.C., on the morning of November 11 EST. In addition, U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra invited Taiwan’s Representative to the Netherlands Chen Hsin-sin to the embassy for a meeting, and made history with a social media post and photo release.
Assistant Secretary of State Kubu met behind closed doors with Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. Hsiao Mei-chin, and the two sides did not announce the location of the meeting. This was not the first time the two met, as Cooper tweeted and released photos of an elbow-to-elbow with Hsiao on Aug. 14 after Hsiao’s arrival in the U.S. at the end of July last year.
No coincidence, the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Hoekstra tweeted on the 11th that history was made on this day, first of all, welcome Taiwan representative Chen Xinxin to the embassy, very happy that State Department colleagues around the world can now receive friends from vibrant democracies to the embassy, the end of the text and thank the Taiwan Representative Office in the Netherlands for extending a hand of friendship.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a regular press conference on the 12th, Deputy Director General of the European Division Chen Wing-shao was pressed about the details of the meeting between Hoekstra and Chen Xinxin only said that it was inconvenient to explain to the public, but the relevant interactions are very close, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted the posting of the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is happy to see such things.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry is optimistic about the meeting between the U.S. and Taiwan ambassadors and continues to deepen Taiwan-U.S. relations
Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ou Jiang’an further pointed out that the details of the arrangements and talks related to the talks between Taiwan and U.S. officials have never been relayed to the public, but the Taiwan government will continue to promote and deepen the Taiwan-U.S. global partnership in a steady manner in the future by upholding the principles of mutual trust, reciprocity and mutual benefit.
Ou Jiang’an: “We aim to make the Taiwan-U.S. relationship of mutual trust and cooperation has been continuously enhanced, between Taiwan and the United States to share common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, which we cherish, so under the efforts of both sides, we will go further to strengthen and global partnership, but also continue to deepen mutual relations on such a friendly basis. “
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on the 12th in response to related inquiries that China’s relevant principled position has been stated very clearly. China is firmly opposed to similar meetings. The U.S. side has been emphasizing the so-called “unofficial” nature of the U.S.-Taiwan (exchanges), is it trying to tell the international community, including China, that officials at the level of Assistant Secretary of State are not official personnel? It’s a pure self-deception to describe the visit to Taiwan by official personnel like the U.S. Secretary of health and Human Services and Under Secretary of State as “unofficial”.
Zhang Yushao: Xiao Meiqin in the State Council, Taiwan’s reputation and face both
In an interview with the Taiwan Association for Cross-Strait Policy, Zhang Yushao, deputy secretary general, analyzed the situation, as U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo said, he really does not understand why the United States is self-imposed restrictions. First, he defined Taiwan as a vibrant democracy and a trusted ally of the United States, which explains the qualitative and quantitative changes in Taiwan-U.S. relations with the U.S.-China relationship. Under this definition, Pompeo told everyone that the U.S. administrative bureaucracy, self-imposed limits in a complex reality, in fact, affects Taiwan and the United States in diplomatic, military and defense officials in the exchange, he believes there is no need to self-imposed limits.
Zhang Yushao: “I think Xiao Meiqin has been in the State Department in the past, but that is low-key, Taiwan gets ‘lizi’; after this restriction is lifted, this is called ‘lizi, face are there’, the form and substance are reached. 0219 (The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands received Taiwan’s representative in the Netherlands at the embassy) This is meant to give European countries a demonstration of friendly democracies with the U.S., and if there are tangible and intangible restrictions on interactions with Taiwan can be loosened.”
As for Pompeo’s removal of restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan relations at this time, will the next administration continue to comply? Zhang Yushao believes that there are still variables, the Biden administration can be passive inaction or return to a low profile, and this is very likely. However, Zhang Yushao suggested that the U.S. Congress has just passed the National Defense Authorization Act in the “Taiwan Assurance Act” has been set out, the Secretary of State must report to Congress within 180 days for the guidelines for U.S.-Taiwan relations, which must be complied with, because this is in accordance with the law administration.
Zhang Yushao: “Pompeo lifting the ban is an executive order, there is room for administrative discretion, the next time the President and the Secretary of State whether to comply with his norms have variables. However, the House and Senate passed the “Taiwan Assurance Act” which is the law, how can the Secretary of State not comply with the law, democratic countries are administered by law.”
Taiwan-U.S. Exchange Restrictions “Xiao Guoxiao”? Zhang Guocheng: The strength of China’s response determines
Taipei Medical University Center for Liberal Studies Professor Chang Kuo-Cheng believes that we must recognize that the next U.S. administration does not have an absolute obligation to comply with the practices of the current administration. But the next administration will look at China’s response to this matter to determine whether they want to comply next or take other steps.
Zhang Guocheng: “If the Chinese government is very concerned and takes any big action, the next government can use whether to continue as a bargaining chip with China. Since you care so much, I won’t do it in the future, provided you give in or compromise in other areas. The problem is not with Taiwan, the matter is definitely with the United States and China.”
Taiwan officials reveal China’s “military scare” north-south attack Lin Yingyou: the PLA intends to shape the “blockade” situation
In the meantime, Taiwan’s Liberty Times on the 12th quoted Taiwan’s military senior personnel to confirm that the PLA recently implemented a number of warships live fire and confrontation exercises in the East China Sea waters of northern Taiwan, respectively, and in the southern Fujian waters of western Taiwan to conduct helicopter formation cross-sea assault, island occupation exercises, as the military exercise area is in the northern and southern ends of Taiwan, with a strong target on Taiwan.
The company’s main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers. In fact, the army must be often in the exercise, they are at any time exercises will not surprise people. They are hoping that regular exercises can have the added effect of being the best, this political effect to us to think so; if we do not think, do not pay attention, then there is no political effect.”
Lin Yingyou, assistant professor at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies at CKS University, interpreted that the PLA exercises are targeted, but the military utility is not necessarily so strong. Assuming that the exercise is real, the recent editor-in-chief of the Global Times, Hu Xijin, and the editorial have a strong response to the U.S. State Department’s lifting of Taiwan-U.S. exchange restrictions, Lin Yingyou believes that similar drill-related actions can be seen as a military exercise to convey or vent.
Lin Yingyou: “The PLA’s next exercise will be to select the northern and southern parts of the northern Taiwan Strait, which are more important, and he will go to shape the ‘blockade’ situation. Taiwan’s important ports and shipping lanes are in the western part of Taiwan, if the Taiwan Strait is blocked, that is his strategic thinking.”
Lin Yingyou observed that the future Biden administration may not provoke China too much in words or concrete actions. But he will still maintain relations with allies, because this is a line of defense to avoid China’s outburst or deal with China, so the “Indo-Pacific strategy” mentioned in the Trump era should not make much change; similarly, the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia exercises or some security dialogues should still continue.
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