The dynamics of Taiwan-US relations has changed as both sides are currently not a priority on each other’s agenda, and a reversal of Taiwan’s recent engagement with China is unlikely, a US academic said yesterday.
Robert Sutter, a professor at George Washington University, made the remarks via a teleconference hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
Sutter added that eroding US support was one of three sets of factors that would ultimately determine Taiwan’s future, along with China’s ever-growing strength and Taiwan’s inherent weakness.
The decline in US support, which has received little attention according to Sutter, is related to Taipei’s rapprochement with Beijing, as well as the fracturing of the Taiwanese lobby in Washington and the increasing cost of US intervention in Taiwanese contingencies.
For the US, China is currently much more important than Taiwan, he said.
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region will also be pleased to see a peaceful resolution between Taiwan and China, he said.
“Internationally, Taiwan recognizes that advances for Taiwan in world affairs now require Beijing’s permission or acquiescence, even on issues as uncontroversial as trade,” he added.
In contrast with calls from the governments of South Korea, Japan, ASEAN, India and other Asia-Pacific countries for the US to play a greater role in the region, he said Taiwan has maintained a low public profile and has been very “discreet” in its engagement with Washington.
And since current political trends of closer cross-strait engagement is so strong, Sutter said, Taiwan will not be able to “go back to the old way” even if there was a regime change.
Taiwan will have to continue its constructive engagement with China and should not go back to the 1995 to 2008 period, during which former presidents Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) left Taiwan with a “negative” legacy, he said.
Several Taiwanese academics disagreed, with Liu Fu-kuo (劉復國), a professor at National Chengchi University, saying that Taiwan does not ask for Chinese permission before making decisions.
Instead, he said, Taiwan has tried to initiate a “Track Two” communication channel through academic exchanges.
Edward Chen (陳一新) of Tamkang University called for more US support, saying that the lack of US assistance has left some with the impression that the US has abandoned Taiwan.
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