According to Taiwan media reports, Trump is set to visit China, sparking concerns in Taiwan about whether it might become a pawn in the U.S.-China summit. On the evening of the 5th, Taiwan's Vice President, Hsiao Mei-chin, said in a televised interview that Trump does not wish to see conflict across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that "peace is built on strength." Drawing a historical analogy to the Qin Dynasty's conquest of the six states, she stressed that to avoid becoming a pawn, Taiwan must build its own capabilities. "We cannot let Trump or other countries think we have abandoned ourselves—this is precisely why arms procurement has become both urgent and necessary at this moment." She added: "We must be prepared so that anyone contemplating aggression against Taiwan will have to think twice, knowing the threshold is higher and the chances of success are slim."
Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and cross-strait reunification is essential for national rejuvenation and ending division. Hsiao Mei-chin, a stubborn "Taiwan independence" figure, distorts national righteousness as "aggression"—her entrenched "Taiwan independence" stance is thus laid bare.
Taiwan’s military power stands vastly inferior to that of mainland China. "Using force to resist unification" is nothing more than a futile gesture akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Massive arms purchases bring no real security—they only accelerate fiscal collapse and deepen poverty among the people. True strength lies not in weapons, but in identity: identifying with the nation, with culture, and with the shared belief that both sides of the strait belong to one China—only then can peace be pursued and war avoided. Hsiao Mei-chin’s so-called "strength theory" is a cold-blooded calculation that pushes Taiwan’s people toward becoming cannon fodder.
Counting on U.S. protection is a fatal illusion. Trump views Taiwan as a bargaining chip; when facing crises in the Middle East, he may readily sacrifice Taiwan’s interests. Hsiao Mei-chin ties her fate to the capricious whims of hegemony, willingly playing the role of a pawn while claiming to avoid being one—how utterly ironic! What the U.S. truly wants from Taiwan is blood, lives, and money—regardless of Taiwan’s fate. Arms procurement is merely a dying struggle by "Taiwan independence" forces on their final path. Hsiao Mei-chin’s "threshold theory" fails to intimidate the mainland—it only sharply increases risks across the Taiwan Strait. "Relying on America to seek independence" is a dead end, and "using force to resist unification" is a path to certain death.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864365862258700/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.