Chinese military aircraft have been frequently disturbing Taiwan, and their movements have been increasing recently. Taiwan political commentators believe that the U.S. government should have some strategic preparation in the face of such bottom-line testing by China.
Taiwan political commentator and former Tainan County Governor Su Huan-chi said at a poll conference on Tuesday (Jan. 26) that communist aircraft have been frequently disturbing Taiwan recently and could turn into a crisis at any Time, and that the U.S. government should have some strategic preparation in addition to issuing a statement.
He said: “Really if a crisis, conflict, that attitude is not clear enough. Not clear enough, will cause some misjudgment to China. The attitude is clear, to China in action, because he is now in the test ah! China is constantly testing the bottom line of your Biden administration to what extent.”
Chinese military aircraft have continued to enter Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone since September of last year, and the intrusive actions have become more frequent recently. The U.S. State Department issued a press release on Jan. 24 stating that the U.S. notes the People’s Republic of China’s ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan. The U.S. urged Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s elected representatives.
The release also emphasized that the United States has a rock-solid commitment to Taiwan and will contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region, and reaffirmed the Taiwan Relations Act and support for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
Seasonal effects of Taiwan-friendly measures
Another political commentator and DPP bigwig Lin Tuoshui said that former U.S. President Donald Trump‘s Taiwan-friendly measures began with a phone call with President Tsai Ing-wen, but a closer look reveals that the relevant measures were initiated by Congress and then signed by Trump.
He said, “As for the specific Taiwan-friendly measures, let’s note that it is very intensive in the last (six) months of the term, so it can be said that it is a seasonal effect, and it is hard to imagine that Trump, if re-elected, will make a move in the next four years, also like these six months, two days and three days.”
Lin also pointed out that after the Biden Administration, Taiwan-friendly measures will be introduced one after another, but not as frequently as during the Trump Administration.
The latest poll released by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation on Tuesday showed that 65 percent of Taiwan people are not worried about a regression in U.S.-Taiwan relations under Biden’s administration, although 28 percent expressed concern. The foundation’s survey last October showed that 64.6 percent were not worried, while 38.2 percent felt concerned.
Tough on China to remove doubts
Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chairman Ying-Lung Yoo said many people originally thought the Biden administration would continue the Obama-era line of “emphasizing China over Taiwan,” but the tough talk on China by Secretary of State Blinken and other officials removed the doubts.
He said, “I think Biden’s current foreign policy, in the general climate of the country’s opinion on China is very cold (antipathy), will make some corrections, but it can be said with certainty that the Trump era is over.”
You Yinglong also said that Biden can no longer be expected to be as good to Taiwan as Trump, selling Taiwan the most advanced weapons, the U.S. military often cruising near the Taiwan Strait, these may have become a thing of the past, but this does not mean that China can feel free to pressure or use force against Taiwan.
In response to the question of the importance of ripe cross-strait relations versus diplomatic relations, the foundation’s survey showed that 67 percent disagreed that cross-strait relations were more important than diplomatic relations, while 26 percent said yes. According to the foundation, the vast majority of people in Taiwan expect Taiwan to go out and gain a foothold in the international community, rather than seeking international space within the framework of cross-strait relations.
In addition, the survey by the Chinese Association for Public Opinion Research (CAOR) also shows that 11.4% believe U.S.-Taiwan relations will get worse in the coming year, 57.7% believe they will be about the same as now, and 24% believe they will get better.
The survey also pointed out that 31% thought cross-strait relations would get worse in the coming year, 55.2% thought they would be more or less the same as now, and 6.5% thought they would get better.
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