Warming links between Taiwan and China are not a source of worry for the US and the best role for Washington in the current atmosphere of cross-strait rapprochement is to let things take their course, some US academics said at a forum in Taipei yesterday. Others, however, said the US could play a key role in helping to formulate confidence-building measures (CBM) between the Taiwanese military and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Ralph Cossa, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Pacific Forum, said the US was “absolutely delighted that China and Taiwan are talking and working the question among themselves.”
HANDS OFF
“The best role [for the US] is to stand on the sidelines and cheer, and not to impede or try to help it,” said Cossa at the forum on Taiwan-US-China relations co-sponsored by the Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies (APS) and the Pacific Forum of the CSIS, a US think tank.
David Lampton, Chinese studies professor at Johns Hopkins University, said that only a small minority in Washington believed the US was nervous about increased ties between China and Taiwan.
Moreover, China is busy with internal affairs and hopes to avoid cross-strait problems, he said.
The panelists agreed that the government’s proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) — a contentious trade pact between Taiwan and China — would be beneficial to the signers. But while transparency is the guiding principle in a democracy, it could be difficult in theory, especially in the midst of any negotiation process, they said.
The pan-green camp has said it does not oppose closer economic ties with Beijing, but worries the government has not provided a satisfactory explanation of potential effects the deal could have on the economy or sovereignty. While the Democratic Progressive Party has demanded the government postpone the signing, the government wants it signed sooner than later.
“The government is not that stupid and is doing everything to minimize the cost [of signing an ECFA],” said George Tsai (蔡瑋), a professor at the Sun Yat-sen Graduate Institute.
Although some US pundits said Washington has taken a hands-off approach in cross-strait development, Tamkang University professor Edward Chen (陳一新) called on the US to play multiple roles, such as that of promoter, facilitator, arbitrator, supervisor and guarantor in various phases of CBM negotiations between China and Taiwan.
For example, Chen said that at times of discord over the implementation of mutually agreed policies, the US could play arbitrator in encouraging both sides to exercise self-restraint. During the initial discussion phase, the US could be a facilitator by sharing experiences and advising Taiwan, he said.
Michael Green, the Japan chair at CSIS, said the US could help Taiwan gain leverage by approving the remainder of an arms package soon. The gesture would buttress Taiwan’s strength and minimize Beijing’s assumption that the US had shifted away from its longstanding security commitment to Taiwan.
While the panel acknowledged that so far the PLA had not shown much interest in establishing a comprehensive set of CBMs with Taiwan, there are other types of CBMs on reducing misunderstandings and the risk of accidents that might be more welcome, Cossa said.
CONDITIONS
Speaking earlier at the forum, APS president Chao Chun-shan (趙春山) said that at least three things must be completed before the political aspect of the cross-strait dialogue could begin — signings of an ECFA and a memorandum of understanding, a domestic consensus on the issue and acceptance by the international community.
“In the future, it may be possible to negotiate a cross-strait military trust mechanism or a cross-strait peace framework agreement. Before that happens, our government will listen to different opinions and comments in Taiwan and reach a mutual consensus while taking the interest of the US and other countries in this region into consideration,” he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS