A former senior US official said Taiwan must be “sober-minded” about China’s intent because China clearly intends to annex Taiwan through growing cross-strait relations.
“China has a strategy in cross-strait exchanges [that] they are very explicit and clear about. They seek unification … under the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’” former US deputy assistant secretary of state Randall Schriver said.
“I think Taiwan’s goals are somewhat different,” he said.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES
Speaking on the second day of a conference analyzing the regional implications of China’s rise, Schriver, who now heads the Project 2049 Institute, said Taiwan must proceed with prudence in its cross-strait relationship.
He said two errors Taiwan could make in its exchanges with China were choosing a cautious and reluctant path leading to deepening isolation, or proceeding too quickly and “[cutting] deals that are perhaps somewhat naive of China’s intent.”
His comments at the conferece — titled “A Rising Chinese Hegemony and Challenges to the Region” — come three weeks after Taiwan and China signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China that will lower customs tariffs and trade barriers between the two countries.
Schriver said that strengthening the US-Taiwan relationship and ties with other regional neighbors should be seen as a priority, particularly after the ECFA.
This would create an important hedge for Taiwan if cross-strait exchanges were to rapidly change, he said.
On Taiwan’s democracy, he said it was important that the country continues to strengthen and protect its democracy, as it was a recent development and could potentially “erode and lose ground.”
“It’s very important for Taiwan to continue to keep its democracy strong and further perfect [it] … because I think it relates to Taiwan’s survival,” he said.
During the forum, panelists also conveyed fears that China’s growing global influence could have a serious impact on regional stability and deep ramifications for Taiwan’s security.
Saying that Taiwan, Japan and the US should resist China’s “aggressive diplomatic and military advances,” defense analyst Hideaki Kaneda said China sought to create a “multipolar world with China … as a superpower like the US.”
This could spell a worrying trend for Taiwan, as Beijing could leverage its increasing diplomatic and economic power against Taiwan’s sovereignty including pressuring the US to scale down or stop arms sales to the country, said Taiwan’s former top representative to the US.
“We need more weapons for Taiwan’s military defense — to deter China, but it is becoming more and more difficult to procure arms,” former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said. “I’m concerned this will be the precedent.”
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