US President-elect Donald Trump has been declaring his personnel picks for his incoming Cabinet. Many are staunchly opposed to China. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Trump’s nomination to be his next secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, said that since 2000, China has had a long-term plan to destroy the US.
US Representative Mike Waltz, nominated by Trump to be national security adviser, has stated that the US is engaged in a cold war with China, and has criticized Canada as being weak on Beijing.
Even more vocal and unequivocal than these two Cabinet picks is Trump’s nomination for secretary of state, US Senator Marco Rubio.
Rubio is the son of Cuban exiles and holds a deep disdain for communism. He is a strong proponent of Tibetan resistance against Chinese oppression and has called for the US Congress to report on the human rights status of Uighurs in Xinjiang.
He proposed a US Senate bill to rebuke China for unilaterally drawing new maps of air defense identification zones in the East China Sea.
He supports the Philippines’ pushback against China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea. He has also led hearings to uncover China’s suppression of US companies through encouraging self-censorship.
Rubio is a staunch supporter of Taiwan. With Democratic US Senator Jeff Merkley he proposed the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act and has stated his aspiration to amend the Taiwan Relations Act to bolster the nation’s sovereignty.
He has called for the creation of an intergovernmental working group — a Taiwan policy task force, composed of the White House, the US departments of state, Treasury and commerce, and the Office of the US Trade Representative.
He has also called for the US government to abide by the Taiwan Travel Act to grow bilateral exchanges between officials.
Most symbolic of Rubio’s actions is his call for the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan — the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) — to change the official title of the AIT head from “director” to “representative.” He also said that appointments for the position should receive confirmation from the US Senate, elevating the position to the same stature as that of an ambassador.
One could justifiably say that Rubio is the most Taiwan-supportive secretary of state in US history and a “friend of Taiwan.”
With Rubio supporting Taiwan to the extent he has, it is unfortunate that within Taiwan, there are many people who, while enjoying the fruits and liberties of the nation, disparage it or work with those outside who want to destroy it.
Retired military officers and personnel seem to have plenty of disappointing unpatriotic figures within their ranks.
China’s Zhuhai Air Show was held earlier this month to display its air power. However, its modern military equipment and high-tech performance have yet to be tested.
Despite their excellence in remaining permanently lodged at the bottom of the sea, it is clear that China’s submarines still pose a threat. Retired navy lieutenant commander Lu Li-shih (呂禮詩) should understand this point more than most, yet due to his sympathies, he called China’s military forces “moving” and remarked on “how strong our China has become.”
Article 9-3 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), colloquially known as the “Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷) clause” prohibits military officers who carried the rank of major general or higher from participating in any “ceremony or activity ... [that] harm[s] the national dignity.” The penalty for retired generals who contravene the act is relinquishing 50 to 100 percent of their pension. However, as Lu was a lieutenant commander, it does not apply to him.
In response to Lu’s actions, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) proposed introducing amendments to the law to expand its scope so it also applies to those who have attained field or senior officer ranks.
Similarly, DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) proposed amendments to the National Security Act (國家安全法), Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法) by establishing additional specialized national security tribunals.
Although doing so would be akin to closing the stable doors after the horses have bolted, there is still a need.
The legislature is not supposed to be partisan. It should treat matters such as these with seriousness and strive to review and pass the proposals.
Ultimately, Taiwan belongs to all its citizens — defense should not be an issue split along ideological lines.
Tommy Lin is president of the Formosa Republican Association and the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Translated by Tim Smith
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