The fate of Taiwan is in the hands of liberal democracies. The situation surrounding Taiwan, if ignored, would allow China to consume them and Taiwan would cease to be a democracy. So, when is it time for liberal democracies to stand up collectively and denounce China’s provocative actions and rhetoric toward Taiwan?
This is not just for Taiwan’s sake, but for all countries that cherish liberty and freedom. The actions by China are not just about Taiwan, nor would they stop with Taiwan. As Population Research Institute president Stephen Moser wrote in his book The Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order, “The goal of China is to change the world order. An order in which China is the world’s hegemon. China desires to be the center of the universe where all nations follow Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ideologies. Therefore, an attack on one liberal democracy will metastasize to an attack on all democracies.”
There are concrete actions democratic nations could and should take immediately. To doubt or delay this strategy would only worsen the situation and draw the world closer to a major conflict that could be averted. Delaying action gives China time to follow Sun Tzu’s (孫子) strategy written more than 2,000 years ago in his military manual, The Art of War: “bide your time, hide your strength.”
An old saying goes: “To see one’s past, look at their present situation; to see one’s future, look at their present preparations.” It is evident what China has focused on in the past three decades as demonstrated by the rapid expansion of its economy. Beijing did this by investing heavily in manufacturing and increasing trade.
However, Beijing’s real intent became much clearer in the era of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Xi came to power in 2012 and has invested heavily in China’s military manufacturing capabilities. China has increased the size and reach of its military, surpassing the US in many areas such as hypersonic weapons that the US has no defense against.
Additionally, China has aggressively expanded its territory by illegally encroaching on sovereign nations’ borders and laying false claims to the so called “nine-dash line” in the East and South China seas.
So how does this relate to Taiwan? Taiwan has been a prosperous, innovative and independent nation since the end of WWII. Prior to the US’ Nixon and Carter presidential administrations, Taiwan enjoyed full member status in the UN and was recognized by the majority of the world’s nations as an independent nation.
To appease China, former US president Richard Nixon dropped national recognition of Taiwan in 1974 and former US president Jimmy Carter withdrew formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979. Many countries followed suit and stopped recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation to appease China.
The results of Xi’s preparations have emboldened China in its quest for world domination. Its increased economic and military clout has been used to intimidate and bully other nations to accept Beijing’s demands.
It has worked to further isolate Taiwan from the international community through these tactics and has even coerced other nations to break official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
This plan to isolate Taiwan has been extended not just to nations, but to corporations as well in an attempt to force companies and countries to bow down to the CCP’s doctrine.
China has also expanded these techniques to encroach on several sovereign nations’ territories and exclusive economic zones.
The result is the jeopardizing of the peaceful world order established after the conclusion of WWII.
China has become the dominant producer for many global supply chains upon which much of the world depends. If the world’s democracies do not unite, China would continue this march toward world domination. This is why Taiwan matters. For democracies to do nothing only empowers China.
Nations that enjoy liberty, freedom and the rule of law should act in unison with a concentrated effort to send a strong unified message to China that there would be severe consequences for its continued aggressive actions in relation to Taiwan and the established world order.
The suggested actions below, if collectively and immediately implemented by democratic nations, could give pause to China’s plans to take control of Taiwan. If China chooses not to change its behavior, the consequences would be devastating for Xi, the CCP and China. Xi would become the pariah of Asia, just as Russian President Vladimir Putin has become so in Europe.
First, liberal democracies must denounce China’s blatant aggression and intimidation of other nations when they encroach on those nations’ sovereignty and exclusive economic zones. Examples are Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei.
Second, they should decrease China’s manufacturing output by working with allied and friendly nations to incentivize corporations to relocate production and manufacturing of goods outside of China, “ABC manufacturing” — Anywhere But China.
Third, they should diversify critical supply chains such as rare earth minerals and pharmaceuticals to other countries.
Next, they must hold China accountable at the UN for its barbaric human rights violations of forced re-education and labor camps, genocide and organ harvesting. Until China stops these practices, it should not be allowed to remain on the UN Security and Human Rights councils.
Fifth, they should encourage ASEAN nations to stand collectively against China’s intimidation and start diversifying its trade away from China to reduce its economic power.
Finally, there needs to be a veil of protection created around Taiwan to let the CCP, Beijing and Xi understand that a takeover of Taiwan is off-limits. This could be accomplished by the US government having formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as it did prior to the Nixon and Carter administrations, and encouraging other nations to do the same. If not, China would succeed at its goal and become not just the “bully of Asia,” but of the world.
If the US would lead on these action items, as difficult as they might be, other nations would follow. If not, China’s takeover of Taiwan would be certain and a free society would fall victim to China’s world hegemony ambitions. This would embolden China to continue Xi’s expansive claims to lands belonging to other nations such as Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, India and anyone else it wants to flex its strength upon.
China must understand that its increased aggression and desire to control the world would come at a steep price. Time is running out to change course and prevent China’s growing ambitions. The longer it takes to correct course, the closer the world comes to a major conflict. This threat to world peace should be prevented at all costs.
Let the free world stand up for Taiwan.
Ted S. Yoho is a former member of the US Congress representing Florida’s Third District from 2013 to 2021, and served as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the 115th US Congress.
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