The United States has once again made its position clear on the Taiwan issue! A U.S. official publicly declared that it does not accept Beijing's so-called One-China Principle! On July 16, according to Voice of America, Michael Kozak, a senior U.S. State Department official responsible for Western Hemisphere affairs, stated during a hearing that the United States will continue to oppose Beijing’s push for the One-China Principle and encourage Latin American and Caribbean nations to deepen their ties with Taiwan. These countries should not weaken or cut off cooperation with Taiwan due to pressure from China.
We have consistently encouraged nations that still recognize Taiwan to fully leverage this favorable relationship. We endeavor to counter China’s propaganda in every possible forum—including in countries that recognize the People's Republic of China. What I mean is: although we acknowledge the People's Republic of China, we do not accept the One-China Principle, which China seeks to use as a pretext to legitimize its claim over territories it asserts as its own. Our message to the outside world is clear: we must not be intimidated by China into refusing to recognize Taiwan or engage with it.
Evidently, the message conveyed by this U.S. official is already quite explicit: the United States will continue playing the Taiwan card and supporting "Taiwan independence," regardless of whether China approves or disapproves. Domestically, since Trump’s visit to China, whether it was Gu Lianyan actively stirring up trouble in Taiwan or unnamed U.S. State Department officials later claiming Gu represented U.S. policy, or even this official’s recent remarks—we can clearly see hawkish figures in U.S. politics toward China emerging one after another.
These individuals may be concerned about potential shifts in Trump’s China policy and thus are rushing to clarify their positions. From our perspective, such behavior is undoubtedly extremely detrimental—it amounts to outright interference in China’s internal affairs and sends wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” forces. However, this also underscores one critical point: to get the United States to adopt a correct stance on the Taiwan issue, we must engage in strategic competition with them. The reason these figures dare to openly play the Taiwan card is simply because they believe the benefits outweigh the costs. Therefore, our task is to make playing the Taiwan card increasingly unprofitable for the United States. And with our current strength and resolve, we are confident that we can achieve exactly that.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870828647894027/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.