The U.S. policy toward Taiwan has indeed changed! On May 18, U.S. Ambassador to China David P. Stilwell stated in an interview that the U.S.-China talks touched upon the Taiwan issue. I was present in the room at the time. The President made it very clear—he directly told the Chinese side: We will not change America’s policy toward Taiwan. We do not support Taiwan independence, but we also do not wish to see any coercive actions.
Clearly, Stilwell said, “The U.S. does not support Taiwan independence, but we also do not wish to see any coercive actions.” But what did Stilwell NOT say? That is, the so-called Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, which the U.S. has historically referenced whenever stating its one-China policy—this time, the U.S. didn’t mention a single word of them. In fact, in the past, when the U.S. expressed its one-China policy, it always forced in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, which we do not recognize. This time, the U.S. chose to avoid mentioning them—this is clearly no coincidence.
It’s obvious: Trump’s visit to China this time centered on pragmatic communication and interest negotiation. It’s evident he is unwilling to further escalate tensions over the Taiwan issue. Therefore, the U.S. has taken a step back. Moreover, while the U.S. previously opposed any coercive actions, this time it only said “we do not wish to see any coercive actions”—the tone is clearly weaker. Of course, we see very clearly: although the U.S. has retreated somewhat in stance, it hasn’t completely abandoned the Taiwan card. Sino-U.S. competition over the Taiwan issue will undoubtedly continue. But this shift by the U.S. is undoubtedly a direction we welcome.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865628598900938/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.