Upon taking office last May, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) set two priorities in foreign policy: improve relations with China, Taiwan’s main threat, and repair the damage to Taiwan’s standing with the US, its primary foreign protector.
For the last 10 months, Ma has sought to ease tensions with China with small moves such as arranging for more passenger flights from Taipei to China and inviting more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan. In recent days, Ma has turned to concentrate on rebuilding trust from the US, especially from US President Barack Obama and his administration.
Ma addressed an influential audience in Washington through a videoconference call last Wednesday in which he promised “surprise-free and low-key” dealings with the US and an effort to be a “responsible peacemaker” in the international arena. He said “pragmatism” would be the mark of his foreign policy.
In contrast, Ma’s predecessor, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), antagonized Chinese leaders with his relentless pursuit of independence for Taiwan. Chen antagonized US leaders, including former US president George W. Bush, who was basically pro-Taiwan, by failing to consult with Washington and by taking what Bush officials considered to be reckless positions toward China.
Even as Ma spoke, the Chinese reminded the people of Taiwan, and indeed the world, that they were continuing to acquire the military power to deter Taiwanese independence and possibly to conquer the island. The People’s Liberation Army marked the 60th anniversary of its navy with a review at sea that included warships from 14 other navies, including the US.
The US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead led the US delegation to Beijing and the port of Qingdao. The admiral, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conferred with political and military leaders as he sought to have Sino-US military exchanges revived. China broke them off in October after the US announced it would sell US$6.5 billion in arms to Taiwan.
Those exchanges are intended to dissuade Chinese leaders from miscalculating US capabilities and intentions. The US seeks to discern the reasons behind China’s military buildup, including its plans to acquire a blue-water navy as opposed to its present largely coastal navy.
The government of Taiwan has organized its current efforts to influence the US around the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which was enacted in Congress after former US president Jimmy Carter switched US diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. The TRA governs US unofficial dealings with Taiwan, including arms sales.
To reinforce the TRA, Taiwan’s representatives in the US have sponsored a dozen panel discussions across the country in which scholars, specialists and diplomats have discussed the TRA and relations between the US and Taiwan. Journalists have been invited to Taiwan to interview leaders and to witness political and economic developments.
Ma’s address last Wednesday to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the prominent think tank in Washington, was a featured event in this effort. He emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to its own defense, which had been questioned by some in the US.
“I want to reassure America that Taiwan will not free-ride on the United States for its own security,” he said. “I urge the United States not to hesitate to provide Taiwan with the necessary defensive arms as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act.”
In addition, he said Taiwan would like to get a waiver on visas so that more Taiwanese tourists could visit the US, as well as negotiate a free trade agreement that would expand commerce.
Richard Halloran is a freelance writer based in Hawaii.
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