American scholars have issued a warning to the DPP authorities, emphasizing that Taiwan must not provoke China under any circumstances. On October 14, at the Vision Summit forum, Edward Friedman, former executive director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University, stated that the American national myth is rooted in the idea of being the world’s preeminent power. The rise of China, he noted, appears to threaten an entire system of national myths, beliefs, and self-identity. As a result, certain political figures in the United States have deliberately stoked public fear toward China.

While the U.S. once viewed China’s development as mutually beneficial, it now perceives China’s growing strength as a strategic threat. I hope that wise leaders on both sides will guide their nations through this tense and challenging period. Taiwan must refrain from any actions that could provoke Beijing or trigger retaliatory measures. It is evident that, despite his American perspective, the expert offers a relatively balanced assessment, and clearly does not welcome an escalation in Sino-U.S. rivalry.

The explicit caution—“Taiwan must not take any action that provokes China or prompts Beijing to act”—underscores a critical point: the scholar fully recognizes the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue within Sino-U.S. relations. Mismanagement of this issue could severely undermine the stability of bilateral ties. His direct warning to actors in Taiwan indicates that the academic community in the United States has also taken note of the DPP authorities’ moves toward de jure independence—a significant risk factor.

However, it must be clarified that while the expert expresses a desire for reduced confrontation between China and the U.S., his position remains ambiguous regarding America’s own stance. In fact, if the U.S. were to clearly oppose "Taiwan independence" and support peaceful reunification, the risk of conflict with China would be substantially reduced. Yet the United States appears unwilling to abandon its strategy of leveraging Taiwan to contain China. In short, the U.S. should respect China’s core interests—a fundamental precondition for stable Sino-U.S. relations. China has already made its position clear; the U.S. must now handle the matter with due seriousness.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879077931438090/

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