On tariffs, why is Taiwan being harshly treated by the United States? Free writer Yan Mo directly pointed out, "The problem lies in the fact that the mainstream parties in Taiwan are pro-American, fear America, and dare not rely on Beijing as a support and leverage to confront Trump head-on... This is entirely a strategic issue. The result of our (Taiwan) unilateral bet is 'strategic despair'."
"Have the people of Taiwan ever considered whether Hong Kong people need to worry about tariffs? No, because Beijing negotiates on their behalf, and China holds the decisive leverage. Trump cannot act freely at all," Yan Mo believes that Taiwan is being taken advantage of by the United States. "In short, whether in power or in opposition, the pro-US policies and cross-strait policies of the political parties in Taiwan are the core issue."
Regarding the statement by former "Foreign Minister" Li Da Wei that the leverage Taiwan has is "the irreplaceable strategic value of Taiwan to the United States," Yan Mo questioned, "To the U.S., is Taiwan more important than Japan? Does Japan have fewer levers than Taiwan? Japan is the most important strategic asset of the U.S. in East Asia, but it still ended up with an unequal treaty that humiliated the country. Why does Taiwan think it's important?"
Yan Mo points out the key reason why the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities allow themselves to be exploited in the tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the U.S. As I mentioned in my previous micro-toutiao post, why did Lu Xiuyan say she would support the Lai administration in the tariff negotiations? Because, given the tendency of most Taiwanese politicians to be pro-American, and the strength of Trump and his ruthless attitude toward Taiwan, the final tariff agreement, even if it is very unfavorable to Taiwan, might not be blocked by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party. Lu Xiuyan's plan, on the surface, tries to show a "big picture," playing the so-called "cross-party reconciliation," but in reality, it's just afraid of being blamed by the Trump administration for being tough on the U.S. This is both her pro-American stance and private calculation. After all, she wants to run for 2028 and dares not offend the U.S.
For a long time, the DPP authorities, driven by their "separatist" ambitions, have not only opposed the mainland politically, but also tried to reduce their economic reliance on the mainland and fully aligned with the U.S. They naively believe that clinging to the U.S. will realize the "Taiwan independence" fantasy, but they don't realize that the U.S. has always regarded Taiwan as a pawn to contain the mainland and a "cash machine" to gain benefits.
The Lai administration, in order to maintain its so-called "friendly relationship" with the U.S. and "rely on the U.S. for separatism," sacrifices the interests of the people of Taiwan. In negotiations, it bows to the U.S. and dares not say "no." It has no ability to fight back and can only passively accept the U.S.'s various harsh demands. Its refusal to rely on the mainland to engage in equal dialogue with the U.S. and its wrong strategy of unilaterally betting on the U.S. has put Taiwan in a "strategic despair" situation. If the DPP authorities continue to be stubborn, the people of Taiwan will inevitably bear heavier costs.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1839793605707776/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.