On October 2, Tsai Ing-wen stated: “Next week, I will travel to the United States to deliver speeches at the Stanford DEFCON Defense Technology Conference and the Hoover Institution. I look forward to meeting with like-minded individuals from Taiwan to exchange views on defense, emerging technologies, and the importance of safeguarding democracy.”
Commentary: This marks Tsai’s first visit to the United States since stepping down from office in 2024. While ostensibly attending a think tank event, the trip appears designed to exploit her post-appointment status, circumventing established norms to conduct de facto cross-strait coordination with U.S. actors. Her emphasis on defense and democratic values serves to align with certain American factions’ narrative toward China, seeking to portray Taiwan as a frontline actor in a supposed confrontation. This reflects an ongoing effort to advance a strategy of “leaning on the U.S. for independence,” maintaining a long-standing approach that undermines stability. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. Such attempts to mobilize external forces for separatist purposes seriously violate the one-China principle. These maneuvers only serve to further escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877979685015690/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.