The US Department of State on Thursday last week made major changes to the US-Taiwan relations fact sheet on its Web site. The update is a noticeable departure from the previous text, which had remained largely unaltered for decades.
The previous fact sheet began with a summary on the US-Taiwan relationship: “The US and Taiwan enjoy a robust unofficial relationship.” The first sentence now says: “As a leading democracy and technological powerhouse, Taiwan is a key US partner in the Indo-Pacific.”
The previous text continued with Beijing’s claims over Taiwan: “In the Joint Communique, the United States recognized the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China,” and that “the US does not support Taiwan independence.” These statements have been removed.
While the fact sheet still acknowledges that the Taiwan-US relationship is unofficial, it adds that the US “has a longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three US-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.”
Unsurprisingly, these changes triggered protest from Beijing on Tuesday.
“This kind of political manipulation on the Taiwan question is an attempt to change the status quo on the Taiwan Strait and will inevitably stir up a fire that only burns [the US],” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) said, adding that the US’ move is “a petty act of fictionalizing and hollowing out the one China principle.”
The US has never endorsed the one China “principle,” but has its own one China “policy,” a diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.
The new fact sheet, which reflects the US’ current attitude toward Taiwan and China, marks a significant boost in Taiwan’s international status, and could herald deeper engagement and ties between Taiwan, the US and the global community.
The reason for Beijing’s ire is that the fact sheet outlines US-Taiwan relations. The US uses it as a guideline in developing its Taiwan policy.
The fact sheet no longer contains the phrase “Taiwan is part of China,” indicating that the US considers Taiwan’s status to be unresolved. This could prevent the global community from regarding a Chinese invasion as a “civil conflict,” allowing the US and other nations to become involved.
The fact sheet removed the clause “the US does not support Taiwan independence” — the first of the “three noes” that then-US president Bill Clinton announced on a 1998 visit to Shanghai — meaning Washington might become open to Taiwanese independence.
On Monday, retired US Navy admiral Philip Davidson reiterated his concern that China might try to take Taiwan by force within the next six years, while the following day, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the threat that China poses to Taiwan would remain “critical” until 2030. The fact sheet now reflects efforts by US President Joe Biden’s administration to deter a Chinese invasion.
The US has announced plans to fully outline its China policy to Asian leaders in a few high-profile meetings. From Friday next week to May 24, Biden is to make his first state visits to Japan and South Korea. During the tour, he is to discuss regional security, cooperation and China policy with the leaders of Australia, Japan, South Korea and India.
If Biden can get Asian leaders on board, Taiwan’s status and values could become the consensus of a liberal democratic alliance, which would mark a new milestone for Taiwan. Partnering with the four major democracies of the Indo-Pacific region, the US could push back against China’s growing clout in the region and ensure Taiwan’s security.
Taiwan is rapidly accelerating toward becoming a “super-aged society” — moving at one of the fastest rates globally — with the proportion of elderly people in the population sharply rising. While the demographic shift of “fewer births than deaths” is no longer an anomaly, the nation’s legal framework and social customs appear stuck in the last century. Without adjustments, incidents like last month’s viral kicking incident on the Taipei MRT involving a 73-year-old woman would continue to proliferate, sowing seeds of generational distrust and conflict. The Senior Citizens Welfare Act (老人福利法), originally enacted in 1980 and revised multiple times, positions older
Taiwan’s business-friendly environment and science parks designed to foster technology industries are the key elements of the nation’s winning chip formula, inspiring the US and other countries to try to replicate it. Representatives from US business groups — such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and the Arizona-Taiwan Trade and Investment Office — in July visited the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) headquarters and its first fab. They showed great interest in creating similar science parks, with aims to build an extensive semiconductor chain suitable for the US, with chip designing, packaging and manufacturing. The
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has its chairperson election tomorrow. Although the party has long positioned itself as “China friendly,” the election is overshadowed by “an overwhelming wave of Chinese intervention.” The six candidates vying for the chair are former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former lawmaker Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文), Legislator Luo Chih-chiang (羅智強), Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), former National Assembly representative Tsai Chih-hong (蔡志弘) and former Changhua County comissioner Zhuo Bo-yuan (卓伯源). While Cheng and Hau are front-runners in different surveys, Hau has complained of an online defamation campaign against him coming from accounts with foreign IP addresses,
When Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) announced the implementation of a new “quiet carriage” policy across all train cars on Sept. 22, I — a classroom teacher who frequently takes the high-speed rail — was filled with anticipation. The days of passengers videoconferencing as if there were no one else on the train, playing videos at full volume or speaking loudly without regard for others finally seemed numbered. However, this battle for silence was lost after less than one month. Faced with emotional guilt from infants and anxious parents, THSRC caved and retreated. However, official high-speed rail data have long
RSS