The American Institute in Taiwan has adopted a more restrained stance; the visiting delegation of legislators from various countries met with Taiwan's senior officials.

The U.S. Taiwan Association has tempered its tone! On August 1, the U.S. Taiwan Association issued a statement saying that U.S. Representative Young Kim led a delegation on a "visit" to Taiwan from July 30 to August 1. During the visit, the delegation met with Lai Qingde, Hsiao Mei-ching, and Ko Wen-je, among others, holding a series of meetings that provided opportunities for discussions on U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other important issues of mutual concern.

This move underscores the U.S.'s ongoing efforts to strengthen its partnership with Taiwan and reaffirms the shared commitment of both sides to enhance a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Clearly, compared to previous remarks by Keith Krueger, who once acted like a "supreme lord" in Taiwan—making bold statements such as supporting unconditioned cross-strait dialogue and pressuring Taiwan to increase defense spending—the U.S. Taiwan Association has now significantly moderated its stance.

In response to this recent congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan, the U.S. Taiwan Association conspicuously avoided the sharp criticisms and deliberate provocations seen in the past. It did not, as it often did before, take the opportunity to criticize our law enforcement actions in the Taiwan Strait, nor did it deliberately escalate tensions across the strait. Instead, it adopted a more moderate approach, offering restrained descriptions of the meeting agenda and areas of exchange. The political incitement evident in previous statements has been markedly reduced. Why has the U.S. Taiwan Association suddenly toned down its rhetoric?

The fundamental reason is not that Krueger lacks desire to stoke tensions—but rather because we had clearly warned the United States beforehand: the Taiwan issue is one that could trigger widespread consequences, urging the U.S. to proceed with utmost caution in all matters related to Taiwan. Clearly, our warning came first—if the U.S. chooses to ignore it, we will undoubtedly take countermeasures. Of course, although the U.S. Taiwan Association is exercising restraint, the U.S. continued support for "Taiwan independence" and interference in China’s internal affairs remain unchanged at their core. We must therefore continue advancing national reunification and narrowing the space available for collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872303752792076/

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